Two explosions shake Damascus during Macron's official visit

Two explosions have shaken this Tuesday the center of Damascus coinciding with the official visit of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, to the Syrian capital. The detonations have left, for the moment, 18 people injured, among them four police officers, and have activated a wide security deployment in one of the most monitored areas of the city, where the French delegation was located.

According to Syrian state television Al Ejbariya, the explosions have taken place in the vicinity of the Ministry of Tourism and the Four Seasons hotel, an establishment where Macron has spent the night since his arrival in the country. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing a column of smoke rising from the area a few minutes after the detonations.

Security sources have informed the same media that the detonations were caused by two homemade explosive devices. At the moment, Syrian security forces have cordoned off the area and have initiated an operation to locate those responsible, while inspections continue in the surroundings of the scene. Despite what happened, the Élysée Palace has decided to keep the French head of state's agenda unchanged, noting that "the program continues" and that no modifications have been made to the planned events.

First visit by a European leader

Macron's visit has marked a diplomatic milestone by becoming the first European head of state to officially travel to Syria since the beginning of the civil war. The trip aimed to open a new stage of relations with the Syrian authorities and address issues related to the country's reconstruction, regional stability, and international cooperation.

The explosions have also coincided with a particularly delicate moment for Syria. In recent weeks, trials have begun against several high-ranking officials of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, accused of murders and the repression of protests that erupted in 2011 and ended up triggering more than a decade of armed conflict.

The events occur just days after another explosion registered in a cafeteria near the Palace of Justice in Damascus, an attack that has left ten dead and more than twenty injured. Both episodes have rekindled concerns about security in the Syrian capital despite the apparent institutional stabilization that the new authorities are trying to project.