Amidst French President Emmanuel Macron's landmark visit to Damascus, multiple explosions have rocked the Syrian capital, raising significant security concerns and highlighting the ongoing instability in the region.
Key Points
- Multiple explosions were heard in Damascus on Tuesday, with smoke visible across the city.
- Two blasts occurred near a hotel designated for French President Emmanuel Macron during his historic visit to Syria.
- Macron's visit marks the first by a serving EU head of state to Syria, where he reaffirmed France's commitment to a sovereign and peaceful Syria.
- The incidents follow a deadly bomb blast on July 3 in central Damascus, which killed five and injured 20.
- Syrian authorities are investigating the recent attacks, attributing them to 'bad actors' attempting to destabilise the region.
Several explosions were heard at Damascus on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported.
Footage accessed by Al Jazeera showed plumes of smoke rising in the sky. The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear and there was no immediate information about casualties.
French President's Visit Amid Security Concerns
Two explosions were reportedly heard near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be staying during a visit to the capital. Authorities sealed off roads after the explosions, as per Al Jazeera.
Macron on Monday reaffirmed France's support for the Syrian people and called for a sovereign, united and peaceful Syria as he arrived in Damascus on his first official visit to the country.
The event marks the first official visit to Syria by a serving European Union head of state.
In a post shared on X, Macron said, 'I have come to express France's commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours. Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace.'
Recent Bomb Blast and Ongoing Investigation
Earlier on July 3, a bomb blast ripped through a cafe in central Damascus near the Palace of Justice killing five people and injuring 20 others sans immediate claim of responsibility, Al Jazeera reported.
Maher Marwan Idlibi, the Governor of Damascus, said the investigation into the attack is ongoing. He confirmed that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was planted in the cafe, and at least one suspect fleeing the area was pursued and captured.
Idlibi further said there are 'bad actors' trying to destabilise the country when the government is working to rebuild and stabilise the economic and security situation.
Neither did he categorise this as a terrorist attack, nor did he link it to a proscribed organisation such as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Daesh, as per Al Jazeera.
