Two explosions left 18 injured this Tuesday (7) in Damascus, near the hotel where the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, is staying during a visit to Syria.
According to the Syrian government, two explosive devices were detonated on a street between the Ministry of Tourism and the national museum, near the Four Seasons hotel. Four police officers are among the injured. The first explosion occurred after Macron’s convoy left the hotel towards the presidential palace, where he met with Ahmed al Sharaa, who took power after the overthrow of Bashar al Assad. Until the last update, there was no confirmation of a relationship between the attack and the French president’s visit.
Videos recorded fire and smoke after a dumpster exploded. The second detonation occurred next to an ambulance. The Ministry of the Interior reported that another artifact had been placed in a parked car and opened an investigation to identify those responsible. Police blocked streets and reinforced security in the region.
Macron’s office reported that the president is safe, that he did not hear the explosions and that he kept all scheduled commitments. After the meeting with Sharaa, Macron wrote on social media. “This morning, I encountered Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination. (…) Nothing can suffocate the aspiration of Syrians to live in a fully sovereign, secure, pluralistic and united Syria”, wrote the French president.
The visit seeks to reinforce rapprochement between France and the new Syrian government. Macron is the first head of state from a European Union country to visit Syria since rebels led by Sharaa overthrew Assad in 2024. Sharaa and his ministers seek to move away from the past as members of Hayat Tahrir al Sham, a group that emerged from Al Qaeda, as they seek to attract investment and support for the country’s reconstruction after years of war.
Bashar al Assad ruled Syria from 2000 until December 2024, when he was overthrown by an offensive by rebel groups led by Ahmed al Sharaa, ending more than five decades of the Assad family’s power in the country. During the rebels’ advance on Damascus, he left Syria and received political asylum in Russia, where he has lived ever since.
Macron arrived in Damascus accompanied by an economic delegation and is expected to sign memorandums of understanding aimed at recovering the Syrian economy. France has also defended the suspension of sanctions against Syria and expanded dialogue with the new government.
The explosions came just days after a bomb attack on a cafe in Damascus that killed at least nine people and injured more than 20. In recent months, the Islamic State has carried out attacks against government forces, while other armed groups also maintain actions in the country. The economic crisis and infrastructure reconstruction remain among the main challenges faced by the new government.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
