Blasts Rock Damascus Near Macron’s Hotel Ahead of Talks with al-Sharaa

Explosions echoed through the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Tuesday, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. The cause of the blasts was not immediately determined, though initial reports raised fears of casualties.

A security official described the incident to Al Jazeera as “a criminal act,” confirming two explosions occurred in a civilian area. Correspondents reported the blasts struck near the Ministry of Tourism and a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to stay during a visit for talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Macron’s office stated the president, who was en route to meet al-Sharaa, did not hear the explosions. The situation at the presidential palace was described as “pretty calm” by Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from the scene.

The attack follows a deadly cafe bombing in central Damascus last week that killed at least nine people and wounded 20 others, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health.

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