🔶 Several explosions in Damascus near the hotel where Macron was staying left 18 people injured According to Reuters and The Times of Israel, a security source said that several explosive devices detonated in the Syrian capital, Damascus, near a hotel where Emmanuel Macron, President of France, was scheduled to stay. Syrian state television said that shortly after the explosions, Macron was received at the Syrian presidential palace. Following the incident, roads around the area were closed and intense security measures were implemented. The Élysée Palace said Macron did not even hear the explosions in Damascus. A Reuters reporter reported hearing the sound of several explosions in the area and seeing smoke rise. The Syrian state news agency reported that the explosions in Damascus left 18 people injured, including 4 police officers. Macron is the first major leader of the European Union to travel to Damascus since the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian president.