Overview
- Two explosive devices placed near the Four Seasons hotel in central Damascus detonated on July 7, killing one person and injuring dozens as French President Emmanuel Macron was in the city.
- Syrian security forces carried out simultaneous raids in four neighbourhoods in Damascus and its outskirts and said they captured the cell responsible for the July 7 attacks.
- Senior Syrian officials have said early investigations indicate the arrested group was affiliated with Islamic State, but independent verification and any public claim of responsibility were not available in the reporting.
- Authorities say they will disclose the suspects’ names, roles and links after the investigation and forensic work are completed, and state media reported the devices exploded while specialists were attempting to defuse them.
- The bombings and the arrests highlight persistent security risks that could complicate President Ahmad al‑Sharaa’s efforts to re‑engage diplomatically and attract reconstruction investment to Syria.