Explosions near French president's hotel in Damascus; Macron unharmed

Two explosions rocked Damascus near a hotel reportedly housing French President Emmanuel Macron, but the French leader was unharmed and his visit proceeded as planned. The blasts occurred outside the security cordon established for Macron's visit, according to Syria's Interior Ministry. State news agency SANA reported that the explosions did not pose a direct threat to Macron or his schedule.

Rescue and emergency services rushed to the scene, and security forces cordoned off the area. Initial official information regarding the cause of the explosions, potential damage, or casualties was not immediately available. Macron arrived in Syria on Monday evening, becoming the first EU leader to visit the country since 2010. He was reportedly meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at his residence when news of the explosions emerged.

This marks the second bombing incident in the Syrian capital in less than a week. A previous explosion in a Damascus cafe on Thursday killed 10 people. French presidential security had kept the exact date of Macron's arrival in Damascus confidential until his plane landed on Monday.

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The explosions occurred outside the security perimeter established for the French president's visit and did not pose a direct threat to E. Macron or his official visit program, which continues as planned.