Eighteen people, including four police officers, were injured in two explosions near the Ministry of Tourism in Damascus on Tuesday, Syria‘s Interior Ministry said, stressing that the incident posed no threat to French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit, which is continuing as scheduled.
In a statement to SANA, the ministry said Internal Security Forces detected the two explosive devices during field operations and specialized units began procedures to defuse them. The devices exploded while preparations for the disposal operation were underway.
The ministry said Internal Security Forces immediately established a security cordon around the site to protect civilians, while specialized teams launched search, clearance and security operations in the surrounding area.
Preliminary findings indicate that both devices were improvised, the ministry said. One was placed inside a vehicle parked along the roadside, while the other was concealed in a trash container.
Investigations are underway to establish the circumstances of the attack and identify those responsible, according to the ministry.
The Interior Ministry said the explosion site was outside the security perimeter designated for the residence of French President Emmanuel Macron and posed no direct threat to his accommodation or to the official visit.
It added that Macron’s visit to Syria is continuing according to schedule.
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