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Bombs exploded near the hotel where Emmanuel Macron was staying in Syria on Tuesday, a security source said, but the French president did not hear the explosions, the Elysee said, and he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa soon afterwards.
France's President Emmanuel Macron meets Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026. (Reuters)
The blasts underscore the major security challenges in Syria, where Macron is the first head of state of a European Union country to visit since the new authorities took over after toppling Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
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A Reuters witness heard explosions in the vicinity and saw smoke rising. Roads were sealed off and security measures were implemented, the security source said.
The Elysee said the blasts were not audible from the presidential motorcade and a Reuters journalist with the press group accompanying Macron did not hear the blast or see any commotion during the French president’s morning events.
State television later reported that Macron and al-Sharaa had met at the Syrian Presidential Palace.
During the Syrian conflict, a range of militant groups including ISIS gained a foothold in the country.
Al-Sharaa has pledged to build an inclusive new order in Syria since ending more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by the Assad family. But his promise has been tested by bouts of violence.
With Reuters
Read more: France’s Macron visits Syria, in first trip by an EU head of state since toppling al-Assad
