According to Syria’s interior ministry, two homemade explosive devices detonated early Tuesday near the tourism ministry while security forces were attempting to dispose of them, injuring at least 18 people, including four police officers.
The explosions coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Syria — the first by a Western leader since the ouster of Bashar al Assad in December 2024.
Following the blasts, Macron said: “Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria.”
