DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Powerful explosions shook the Syrian capital on Tuesday as France’s president held talks with his Syrian counterpart during a significant diplomatic visit, injuring at least 18 people, according to Syria’s Interior Ministry.

Emmanuel Macron had just entered the presidential palace for discussions with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when blasts struck near the Four Seasons Hotel. Authorities did not immediately provide detailed comments about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Syrian outlets reported that Macron was staying at the Four Seasons. The French presidency confirmed that he was unharmed and that his meeting with al-Sharaa continued despite the explosions. Macron is the first major Western leader to travel to Syria since al-Sharaa assumed power. His stop in Damascus comes ahead of his planned attendance at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

Macron has been a key advocate for encouraging Europe and the United States to ease most sanctions on Syria. He arrived late Monday accompanied by a delegation focused on economic cooperation. During the visit, the two sides are expected to sign memorandums of understanding as Syria seeks foreign investment to support reconstruction efforts after 14 years of devastating conflict.

In a statement carried by state media, the Interior Ministry said the two explosions in central Damascus were caused by explosive devices—one concealed in a trash container and the other placed inside a parked vehicle. Four police officers were among those wounded, and no fatalities were immediately reported. Security forces launched an investigation at the scene.

A thick column of smoke rose above the area, which is located on a busy thoroughfare near the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.

Videos circulating on social media showed a van and a motorcycle engulfed in flames, along with blood visible on the pavement.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blasts occurred just days after another explosive device detonated inside a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 20 others.

The latest violence presents a challenge for al-Sharaa, who took office after leading an insurgency that toppled former President Bashar Assad in 2024.

Since assuming power, al-Sharaa has sought to consolidate authority and restore stability across a country battered by war. He has attempted to reassure minority communities wary of his Islamist background and to gain the trust of Western governments that had been skeptical due to his previous leadership of the formerly al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His administration has pledged sweeping political and economic reforms following decades of authoritarian governance.

Although Syria’s new leadership has faced sporadic violence from various factions while working to assert nationwide control, Damascus itself had remained relatively calm during much of the recent transitional period.

The Syrian conflict has claimed nearly half a million lives and forced millions from their homes. Much of the nation’s infrastructure has been destroyed. Despite significant investment pledges from foreign governments and private entities, Syria still requires hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and to lift large segments of its population out of poverty.

Before heading to the presidential palace, Macron met with representatives of Syrian civil society, though specific details about the participants were not disclosed.