DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) 鈥� Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday as France鈥檚 president met with his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit.
had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel. Syrian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident.
Syrian media reported that Macron was staying at the Four Seasons. The French president鈥檚 office said he was safe and that his meeting with al-Sharaa was continuing. 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 in Ankara, Turkey.
Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to . He arrived in the country Monday night with an economic delegation, and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with his counterpart as the battered country tries to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war.
State media, citing an unnamed security official, reported that the two blasts in the heart of the capital were caused by explosive devices. A large plume of smoke could be seen from the site. The area is on a busy street in Damascus and is near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.
Footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. No group immediately claimed responsibility.
The incident comes days after an , killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.
The explosions are a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar Assad in 2024.
He has since pushed to assert full control and bring stability in war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities skeptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of Western governments who were skeptical of his past leadership of the former al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.
While Syria鈥檚 new rulers have wrestled with violence involving different groups in the country as they work to assert control, the capital has largely been peaceful during the turbulent period.
The conflict in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Syria鈥檚 infrastructure lies in ruins, and while other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty.
Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members of Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details on who.
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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report from Paris.
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