Damascus bombings linked to Islamic State cell

Two bombs exploded near a hotel in Damascus where French President Emmanuel Macron spent the night, wounding 18 people and overshadowing his visit. The visit marked the first by a European Union head of state since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

Investigation findings Preliminary investigations into the cell behind the bombings indicate it was affiliated with Islamic State, a senior Syrian security official said.

The Sunni Muslim group emerged in Iraq and Syria and quickly created a caliphate, declaring its rule over all Muslims and largely displacing al Qaeda. At the height of its power from 2014 to 2017, it held swathes of the two countries, ruling over millions of people, and sought to impose its interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

The caliphate collapsed after a sustained military campaign by a U.S.-led coalition.

Current operations After being ousted from its bases in Raqqa and Mosul, the group took refuge in the hinterlands of Syria and Iraq. The U.N. estimates a membership of 10,000 in Islamic State heartlands. Africa accounted for 86% of the group's global activity in the first three months of 2026.

Islamic State has declared a new phase of operations in Syria against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, carrying out a spate of attacks since February. " — Reuters reporting, July 10, 2026 Security officials say the group has transformed from a conventional force into a dispersed underground movement that depends on clandestine cells and discreet courier networks.