At least two explosive devices have gone off in the Syrian capital, Damascus, as French President Emmanuel Macron visits the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising over the city on Tuesday.
A security official told Al Jazeera that the explosions happened in an area busy with civilians, calling it \u201ca criminal act\u201d and saying that casualties were feared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed a vehicle on fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2060Macron\u2019s office said the president, who was on his way to meet al-Sharaa, did not hear \u2060the blasts and the visit continued as normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Al Jazeera\u2019s Obaida Hitto, reporting from the presidential palace, said the situation there was \u201cpretty calm\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities have sealed off roads and an investigation is under way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ismat Al-Absi, a security expert based in Damascus, told Al Jazeera that the targets of the blasts were not immediately clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are not sure if the IEDs were targeting the French president\u2019s convoy as he was heading to People\u2019s Palace to meet Syrian president Ahmed Al-Sharaa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is clear that the aim is to create unrest and send a negative message. But let\u2019s be clear, there is a security gap and we need to fix it \u2026 in order to prevent portraying Syria\u2019s security situation in a negative light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, an explosion at a cafe in central Damascus killed at least nine people and wounded 20 others, according to Syria\u2019s Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Post by News Desk<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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