Two explosions rocked Syria’s capital, Damascus this afternoon, injuring 18 people, including four police officers. The explosions occurred just before the meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Syrian counterpart Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Presidential palace. President Macron, who arrived in the Syrian capital yesterday, is the first top European leader to visit the war-torn country since the fall of the regime headed by Bashar al-Assad.
Several media outlets reported that the explosions took place close to the hotel where the French President Macron is reportedly staying in. The French President’s office said in a statement that the President was safe and that his trip was continuing.
State media quoting country’s Interior ministry reported that the Internal Security Forces had detected two explosive devices during their field operations, and the competent units had begun taking the necessary measures to dismantle them, but they exploded while preparing for the dismantling operation.
Earlier this month, a bombing in a cafe in central Damascus, killed nine people and injured 20 others. The interior authorities described the incident as a terrorist attack involving an improvised explosive device weighing about one kilogram and packed with metal fragments.