Aoun, Salam condemn Damascus attacks

BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam both condemned the attacks that took place Tuesday morning in Damascus, Syria, on the sidelines of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the country.

"Targeting the security of the Syrian capital at this sensitive time is an attempt to destabilize and undermine the recovery process Syria is undergoing," Joseph Aoun said, before expressing "Lebanon’s full solidarity with Syria, its people, and its institutions, in the face of all attempts to undermine its security," and wishing "a prompt recovery to the wounded." "The stability of Syria is an integral part of the stability of Lebanon and the entire region," he concluded in a statement published on the presidency’s X account.

Earlier, Salam had condemned "the criminal acts that occurred this morning in Damascus, as well as anything that might undermine security and stability," affirming Lebanon’s solidarity with Syria and its people.

Eighteen people were injured Tuesday morning in Damascus in the explosion of two bombs near the hotel where Emmanuel Macron had spent the night, highlighting Syria’s precarious security situation, where the French president was wrapping up a landmark visit.

The two devices exploded after the head of state left for the presidential palace, and the Élysée said that he was continuing his visit as planned. Four police officers were among the victims, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry. One of the "homemade" bombs was placed in a dumpster and the other in a vehicle near the Four Seasons Hotel in the center of the capital, authorities said.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said that the investigation was underway to find those responsible for the attacks. Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab, who visited the scene, said that "these acts of sabotage were intended to undermine the French president’s visit."