Explosions rock Damascus during French President Macron's visit

At least two explosive devices have gone off in the Syrian capital, Damascus, as French President Emmanuel Macron visits the country.

Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising over the city on Tuesday.

Syria’s Interior Ministry said at least 18 people, including four police officers, were wounded in the blasts, the state news agency SANA reported.

A security official told Al Jazeera that the explosions happened in an area busy with civilians, calling it “a criminal act”.

Footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed a vehicle on fire.

An Al Jazeera correspondent said that the blasts occurred near the Ministry of Tourism and a hotel where Macron was meant to be staying during a visit to the capital for talks with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

⁠Macron’s office said the president, who was on his way to meet al-Sharaa, did not hear ⁠the blasts and the visit continued as normal.

The Interior Ministry told SANA that the blasts took place “outside the security zone designated for the French President’s residence, and did not pose any direct threat to the residence or the official visit programme, which is proceeding according to the planned schedule.”

“Preliminary findings indicate that the two explosive devices were improvised. One was placed inside a vehicle parked along the roadside, while the other was concealed in a trash container,” the ministry said, as cited by SANA.

“Investigations are underway to establish the circumstances of the attack and identify those responsible.”

Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from the presidential palace, said the situation there was “pretty calm”.

Authorities have sealed off roads and an investigation is under way.

Ismat Al-Absi, a security expert based in Damascus, told Al Jazeera that the targets of the blasts were not immediately clear.

“We are not sure if the IEDs were targeting the French president’s convoy as he was heading to People’s Palace to meet Syrian president Ahmed Al-Sharaa,” he said.

“It is clear that the aim is to create unrest and send a negative message. But let’s be clear, there is a security gap and we need to fix it … in order to prevent portraying Syria’s security situation in a negative light.”