Serial blasts near Macron’s hotel in Damascus during Syria visit

Panic broke out in the Syrian capital on Tuesday after a series of blasts shook the area, in the same location where French President Emmanuel Macron is staying during his diplomatic visit.

According to Al Jazeera, several explosions were heard in Damascus on Tuesday, with plumes of smoke seen rising afterwards. The cause of the blasts has not yet been established, and there is no immediate information on casualties.

Two blasts were heard in Damascus on Tuesday. Initial reports said several explosions occurred near the hotel where Macron is staying. News agency Reuters, citing a security source, reported that a number of explosive devices went off near the hotel.

These explosions come a few days after a blast at a café near the Palace of Justice in Damascus, which killed at least 10 people and injured two others. Following Tuesday's blasts, roads in the surrounding area were sealed off, and videos of rising smoke have circulated on social media.

According to Al Jazeera, two blasts were heard near the hotel where Macron was due to stay during his visit to the capital. Authorities sealed off roads following the explosions. Macron, on arriving in Damascus on Monday (local time) for his first official visit to the country, reaffirmed France's support for the Syrian people and called for a sovereign, united and peaceful Syria. The visit marks the first official trip to Syria by a serving head of state from the European Union.

In a post on X, Macron said he had come to express France's commitment to the Syrian people — for a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity, at peace with its neighbours — and called for opening a new chapter of stability and peace together.