Two bombs rock Damascus as Macron meets Syrian president, wounding 18 in a blow to al-Sharaa's stability drive

Two improvised explosive devices detonated in central Damascus on Tuesday 7 July as French President Emmanuel Macron was inside the People's Palace meeting his Syrian counterpart Ahmad al-Sharaa, wounding at least 18 people and rattling a visit billed as a turning point in Syria's international rehabilitation.

Syria's Interior Ministry said at least 18 people, including four police officers, were wounded in the blasts, the state news agency SANA reported on Tuesday. No deaths were immediately reported and an investigation was under way at the scene.

Macron's office said the president, who was on his way to meet al-Sharaa, did not hear the blasts and the visit continued as normal.

Where and how the devices detonated

Syrian state television, citing an unnamed security official, reported that the two blasts were caused by explosive devices, one placed in a rubbish bin and the other in a parked car. The area is on a busy street near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.

The explosions struck a busy area between the Syrian tourism ministry and the national museum, across the street from the Four Seasons, where Macron was meeting civil society groups. Footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street.

The Interior Ministry told SANA that the blasts took place "outside the security zone designated for the French President's residence, and did not pose any direct threat to the residence or the officials."

A security official told Al Jazeera that the explosions occurred in a civilian-heavy area, calling it "a criminal act." Ismat al-Absi, a security expert based in Damascus, told Al Jazeera that the targets of the blasts were not immediately clear, adding that it was uncertain whether the devices were aimed at the French president's convoy as it headed to the People's Palace.

No group immediately claimed responsibility.

A landmark visit under strain

Macron arrived in Syria on Monday for the first visit by a Western European head of state since Syria's new authorities took power. Syria's state-run SANA news agency said he came with a business delegation to discuss regional security as well as business and investment opportunities.

Syria's reconstruction is set to be one of the key themes of the trip, and Macron is accompanied by business leaders including the chief executives of TotalEnergies and French container shipping group CMA CGM, a French presidential official told reporters ahead of the visit.

The French president was greeted at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members of Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details on who.

Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since al-Sharaa came to power and his visit comes before he heads to a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria.

Syria's fragile security

The explosions are a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar al-Assad in 2024. He has since pushed to assert full control and bring stability in war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities sceptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of Western governments who were sceptical of his past leadership of the former al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.

Islamic State has claimed a series of attacks on government forces in Syria since February, when the jihadist group announced what it described as a new phase of operations against al-Sharaa's government.

Last week, according to Syria's Ministry of Health, at least nine people were killed and 20 others wounded in an explosion at a cafe in central Damascus. While Syria's new rulers have wrestled with violence involving different groups in the country as they work to assert control, the capital had largely been peaceful during the turbulent transition period.

This is a developing story.