Explosions have been heard in the Syrian capital of Damascus near a hotel where French president Emmanuel Macron was due to be staying.
Footage of the scene shows a plume of black smoke and multiple fires as dozens of locals and security services gather round the scene. Witnesses said they had heard explosions moments before.
Authorities sealed off roads in the area and security measures were implemented after the blast.
The Elysee Palace said Macron had not heard any explosions while on his way to meet al-Sharaa, in what is the first visit to the war-torn country by a major western leader since Bashar al-Assad was ousted in 2024.
Macron was received by the Syrian president soon after the explosions occurred, according to Syrian state TV.
The French president’s visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited in April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so.
He will travel next to Ankara, Turkey, for the Nato summit, where Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa is also expected to attend and hold a high-profile meeting with US president Donald Trump.
“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 neighbors,” Macron said in a post on X. “Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace.”
France supports all those who can “contribute to build a new Syria” in line with the aspirations expressed since the 2011 Arab Spring, Macron’s office said, referring to a period of widespread uprisings across the Middle East that called for political change and reform.
Macron will “engage directly with diverse Syrian people” after he meets with al-Sharaa, his office said.
More follows on this breaking news story…