On July 7, 2026, two explosions occurred near the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Damascus, Syria, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during a state visit, Syrian state media reported.

The bombs, placed inside a car and a garbage can, detonated after security forces discovered them and were preparing to dispose of the devices, according to Syria's interior ministry via state outlet SANA. Eighteen people, including four police officers, were injured in the incidents.

A spokesman for the Élysée Palace confirmed that President Macron was not in his hotel during the explosions and did not hear them. The French president's motorcade continued to a scheduled meeting with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, marking the first visit by a Western leader since Al-Sharaa succeeded former President Bashar al-Assad in 2025.

Video footage circulating on social media showed the aftermath of the blasts, including a vehicle on fire near the Syrian Tourism Ministry and the hotel, as well as smoke rising from the area.

The Syrian agency reported that the explosion site was outside the security perimeter designated for the French president’s residence and posed no direct threat to the official visit program, which proceeded as planned.

President Macron, who had been meeting with Syrian civil society groups prior to the explosions, stated, "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."

Earlier, on July 2, an explosive device killed at least nine people in a Damascus cafe. France's government condemned that attack as a "terrorist attack."

Since assuming the presidency, Al-Sharaa has expressed a desire to unite Syria's factions and strengthen ties with Western nations after years of civil war. Notably, the United States lifted economic sanctions on Syria following a meeting between Al-Sharaa and former President Donald Trump, arranged by Turkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Sources