Syria authorities capture ‘cell’ responsible for July 7 blasts during visit by France’s Macron

DAMASCUS - Syria’s interior minister Anas Khattab on July 9 said it had captured a cell responsible for two bomb blasts during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus earlier this week.

“The cell responsible for the terrorist bombings that targeted Damascus two days ago is now in our custody,” Khattab posted on X.

“Once the investigations are completed, we will reveal to the public the identities of the cell’s members, their roles, and all of their affiliations and connections,” he added.

Two blasts hit central Damascus on July 7, killing one person and wounding dozens during the French president’s first visit to Syria.

The blasts near the hotel where Macron had spent the night came after his departure, and moments before Syrian state media announced his arrival at the presidential palace to meet his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa.

In a joint news conference after the blast, Macron said we must “not let ourselves be destabilised” by such attacks”, and reiterated Paris’ support for the country.

Macron became the first head of state from the European Union to visit Syria since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024. AFP