Syria arrests cell behind Damascus bombings during Macron visit
Syrian authorities have arrested a group responsible for bombings in Damascus that occurred during French President Macron's visit, the interior minister said.
Syrian authorities have detained a cell behind the "terrorist bombings" that rocked the capital Damascus two days ago, Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced on Thursday.
The two explosions occurred on Tuesday near the Four Seasons hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying. One device was placed in a parked car, the other in a rubbish bin; both detonated as specialists attempted to defuse them.
Khattab, speaking via state news agency SANA, said the suspects were arrested in simultaneous raids across four neighborhoods in Damascus and its countryside. Their identities, roles, and links will be revealed after investigations conclude.
Thirty-six people were injured in the attack, which overshadowed Macron's visit — the first by a European Union head of state since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Speaking alongside Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after the blasts, Macron called for uncompromising security while refusing to be destabilized.
The bombings are the latest in a series of security breaches in politically volatile Syria. Last week, nine people were killed in a bomb attack at a crowded cafe in central Damascus. No group has claimed responsibility, but Damascus Governor Maher Marwan blamed "bad actors" seeking to destabilize the country.
