Bombs exploded near Emmanuel Macron's hotel in Damascus, but he was not aware of the blasts.
Macron later met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during the first visit by an EU head of state since 2024.
The incident highlighted Syria's continuing security challenges as the country seeks to rebuild under its new leadership.
Macron's Syria Visit Overshadowed By Blasts Near Damascus Hotel
Bombs exploded near the French president's hotel during his visit to Syria, but Emmanuel Macron was unaware of the blasts and later met President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Summary
Bomb explosions were reported near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying in Damascus on Tuesday, underscoring the security challenges facing Syria during his visit to the country.
Macron, the first head of state from a European Union country to visit Syria since rebels led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024, did not hear the explosions and went on to meet Sharaa at the Syrian Presidential Palace, according to the Elysee. According to Reuters, the blasts underscored the security challenges Syria faces as its new leadership seeks to rebuild the country and strengthen ties with Western and Middle Eastern powers.
A security source said bombs exploded near the hotel where Macron was staying. A Reuters witness heard explosions in the vicinity and saw smoke rising, while roads were sealed off and security measures were implemented following the blasts.
The Elysee said the explosions were not audible from the presidential motorcade. A Reuters journalist travelling with the press group accompanying Macron also said they neither heard the blasts nor saw any commotion during the French president's morning engagements.
State television later reported that Macron and Sharaa had met at the Syrian Presidential Palace.
Reuters reported that Macron's visit has highlighted Syria's geopolitical transformation under Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who has established close ties with Western and Middle Eastern powers that had shunned Assad, as he seeks to rebuild a country shattered by 13 years of war.
During the Syrian conflict, a range of militant groups, including Islamic State, gained a foothold in the country.
Sharaa, a member of Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, has pledged to build an inclusive new order in Syria since ending more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by the Assad family. However, according to Reuters, that promise has been tested by bouts of violence pitting pro-government forces against members of religious and ethnic minority groups, with many hundreds killed last year.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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