Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday, wounding at least 18 people as French President Emmanuel Macron met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa; an Elysee official said Macron was safe and his meeting continued.
The Interior Ministry said the two blasts were caused by explosive devices, one placed in a garbage bin and the other in a parked car; it said four of the wounded were police officers and that no deaths were immediately reported, and an investigation was under way at the scene.
A large plume of smoke rose from the site on a busy street near the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum, and footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street.
Macron arrived Monday night with an economic delegation and was scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with al-Sharaa as the battered country tried to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war; Macron also played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria.
Macron posted on X, "Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination. My visit continues."
The blasts came days after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20, and no group immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday's explosions.
The incident was described as a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar Assad in 2024; his government has pushed to assert control, appeal to minorities, and win the support of Western governments despite his past as leader of the formerly al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and it has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.
The conflict killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions, its infrastructure lies in ruins, and while other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild.
Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members of Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details on who he met.