Attack in Damascus during Macron’s visit
Two bombs exploded on Tuesday morning in Damascus, near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during his visit to Syria. Eighteen people were injured, four of whom were police officers.
The explosions occurred whilst Macron was already inside the presidential palace for a meeting with the Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. The French president’s aides said they had not heard any noise and had therefore carried on as planned.
The Syrian Minister of the Interior reported that the homemade bombs had been placed in a rubbish bin and in a car parked in a busy area of Damascus, between the Ministry of Tourism and the National Museum, opposite the Four Seasons Hotel. As of Tuesday evening, no armed group had claimed responsibility for the attack. Observers fear it may be the work of Islamic State, an adversary of al-Sharaa during the long civil war.
Through this mission, the French President has reaffirmed his support for Syria: he was, in fact, the first European Union head of state to visit Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
During the meeting – before travelling to Ankara for the NATO summit – the French president stated that Paris is working towards military cooperation with Syria, with potential support in the fight against Islamic State. The support offered by the Élysée Palace is not only political but also economic: Macron stated that France is ready to contribute to the reconstruction of the Syrian economy. To underline this, the President was accompanied to Syria by senior executives from Total Energies, the French energy giant, and the shipping company CMA CGM.
