Blasts Wound 18 in Damascus but Macron’s Syria Visit Continues Uninterrupted

Two explosive devices detonated in Damascus on July 7, 2026, wounding at least 18 people including four police officers, Syria’s Interior Ministry said via state news agency SANA. The blasts occurred near the Ministry of Tourism and a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, @AJEnglish reported.

One device was placed inside a parked vehicle and the second was concealed in a trash container.

Macron’s office stated that the president did not hear the explosions and that the visit continued as planned. The Interior Ministry said the blasts took place outside the security zone designated for his residence and posed no direct threat to the official program. Authorities sealed off roads after the incident.

An investigation is under way to determine the circumstances and identify those responsible, the ministry said. The explosions came despite unprecedented security measures for Macron’s visit, the first by a European leader to Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in late 2024, @AJEnglish reported.

A security official described the act as criminal because it occurred in a civilian area.

Last week an explosion at a central Damascus cafe killed at least nine people and wounded 20 others, according to Syria’s Ministry of Health. In May 2025 Macron hosted al-Sharaa during the Syrian leader’s first official visit to a European country.