ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Two explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday with several outlets suggesting they occurred near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron is staying. 

Macron was on the way to the Presidential Palace to meet with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa when the blasts occurred and he did not hear any of them, according to the French Presidency. 

It added that no changes had occurred in Macron’s agenda and that the visit would continue. 

The explosions were near the tourism ministry, Syrian state media reported, which is across the road from the Four Seasons Hotel, where Macron is reportedly staying.

Footage circulating on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire with blood stains on the floor. The number of casualties remains unknown as of the time of writing this article. 

Macron arrived in Syria on Monday, marking the first visit from a European head of state since Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024. 

The visit marks the first by a French president to Damascus since Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, before longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad crushed pro-democracy protests in 2011.

On Sunday, the Syrian presidency said Macron’s visit would be alongside a high-level delegation that includes investors and representatives of French companies, as the two sides seek to expand economic ties.

Earlier in May, Sharaa was received by Macron in Paris in the latter’s inaugural European visit since ascending to power in December, offering a seminal moment for Damascus to capture Western goodwill and engage in diplomatic outreach in the pursuit of legitimacy for his administration.

Along with his delegation, the French president is also taking back archaeological artifacts “that were loaned to the Arab World Institute in 2010 and which, for obvious reasons, were not able to be returned to Syria," the Elysee said.