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Explosion near Macron’s Damascus hotel as French president meets Syrian counterpart
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- Two explosions occurred near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus, where French President Emmanuel Macron had stayed ahead of a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa; Macron was unharmed and already at the Presidential Palace during the blasts.
- The explosions happened while security forces were dismantling two improvised explosive devices, injuring at least 18 people, including four police officers, according to Syria’s state-run news agency SANA.
- One bomb was placed inside a vehicle near the Four Seasons Hotel, and the other was hidden in a garbage container near the Ministry of Tourism, both outside the security perimeter for Macron’s residence.
- Macron’s visit marked the first official trip by a Western leader to Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, following visits by Qatar’s emir and Ukraine’s president earlier this year.
- The attack follows a recent deadly bombing in Damascus that killed nine people and injured 22, highlighting ongoing security challenges in the Syrian capital.
