French President Emmanuel Macron is safe following reports of explosions in central Damascus on Tuesday morning, the Elysee Palace stated. Macron was in the Syrian capital for talks with Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa at the presidential palace.
A security source told the BBC that the blasts were caused by two explosive devices and that several people were wounded. Videos and images on social media showed plumes of smoke and flames rising from a vehicle near a hotel in the Syrian capital following the reports of the incident.
As reports of the blasts emerged, Syrian state television indicated that al-Sharaa had welcomed Macron to the presidential palace. Macron's officials stated that the French president did not hear any explosions during his journey to the meeting.
Macron was scheduled to travel to Turkey for the NATO summit after his visit to Syria. The Elysee Palace confirmed that the visit "continues as planned."
