18 injured in two Damascus blasts during Macron visit
Damascus (ANTARA) - Eighteen people, including four police officers, were injured in two explosions in central Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the Syrian capital, local state media reported on Tuesday.
A witness working at the Syrian Ministry of Tourism told Xinhua that two explosions were heard near the ministry and the nearby Four Seasons Hotel in central Damascus.
Xinhua reporters rushing to the scene reported that security forces had cordoned off the area to prevent access to the site.
While the cause of the explosions has not been confirmed, several local reports suggest the blasts may have been triggered by an explosive device planted in a van parked near the ministry, though no official confirmation has been provided.
Shortly after the reports of the explosions, Syrian state media reported that Syrian President Ahmad al-Shayra welcomed Macron’s arrival at the People’s Palace in Damascus.
In a statement published by the state news agency SANA, authorities said security forces had detected two improvised explosive devices during field operations, which detonated while preparations to defuse them were underway.
According to preliminary investigations, one explosive device was placed inside a parked vehicle, and another was found inside a roadside rubbish container near the building housing the tourism authority.
The Head of the Ministry of Interior, Anas Khattab, stated that the first explosion occurred at 10:15 am local time, followed by a second explosion approximately eight minutes later.
Khattab added that most of the injured were security personnel, and while most sustained minor injuries, four individuals were undergoing surgery.
He noted that Macron’s motorcade was approximately 10 km away from the site of the explosions at the time.
Authorities stated that the explosions occurred outside the security perimeter established for Macron’s residence and posed no direct threat to his visit, which proceeded as scheduled.