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Explosions reported in Damascus amid Macron’s visit to Syria, state media says

A burnt-out van is covered in crime-scene tape where a series of explosions occurred on July 7, 2026 in Damascus, Syria.. (Photo by Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)

(LONDON) — At least two explosions were reported in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, as French President Emmanuel Macron was visiting the city to meet with the country’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The Syrian Arab News Agency said that the explosions occurred near the Ministry of Tourism building and that at least 18 people — including four security personnel — were injured.

Syrian authorities did not immediately comment on the report. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear.

Writing on X after the explosions but without explicitly mentioning the blasts, Macron said, “Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination. My visit continues.”

Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Assad was forced to flee the country after government forces collapsed in the face of a surprise offensive launched by a coalition of rebel groups, led by Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday. “I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors. Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace,” he wrote in a post to X.

Last week, a device exploded in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding 20.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Colorado bicyclist rescued after using memorial shelter honoring another cyclist who died on same trail

By CNN
Click here for updates on this story    MESA COUNTY, Colorado (KCNC) -- On a day with record-setting heat, a mountain biker suffered a mechanical failure on the Palisade Plunge Trail, which claimed the life of a Colorado Springs cyclist four years earlier. A mechanical breakdown threatened to strand the unidentified cyclist Monday about 10 miles from the trail's end. Mesa County Search and Rescue (MCSAR) personnel responded and met the cyclist at a memorial shade structure erected last November by the family and friends of Jeff Higgins.Higgins, 52, died of heat exposure and dehydration on June 11, 2022. He was found unconscious beside the trail by three other cyclists who called 9-1-1 and stayed with Higgins. But those cyclists had also run out of water and needed help. Monday, nearby Grand Junction broke its record high temperature for the day by three degrees. Mesa County's rescue team reached the cyclist by driving an all-terrain vehicle up the trail to the shade structure. The cyclist was given water and time to rehydrate before those rescuers hauled that rider and broken bicycle downhill into Palisade."We're grateful this mission ended safely and that a space created in Jeff Higgins' memory provided shade and comfort when it was needed," MCSAR stated on social media. "Our hearts are with Jeff's family & loved ones, and we hope it brings them comfort knowing his memory is helping others along the Plunge."That is certainly the case. "It's exactly the reason we put it there," said Higgins's widow, Amy. "Jeff would never want to discourage someone from doing something they wanted to do, and still return home safe to their family." Amy Higgins fought back tears as she described the effort to put the shelter near where he husband passed away - from commissioning a Grand Junction artist, Jeff Bates, to design and build it to coordinating with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Town of Palisade, and City of Grand Junction for permission to locate it. In November, members of the Palisade mountain biking community joined the family to place the shelter at what she called "the bailout," the last convenient point for cyclists to exit the trail or first responders to reach them. Less than a year after it was put there, it has already served its purpose, Amy Higgins marveled."And I'm really happy for that," she shared. Less than a year after it was put there, it has already served its purpose, Amy Higgins marveled."And I'm really happy for that," she shared. Jeff Higgins's brother Dan was there when shovels hit the dirt last November. "We're thankful knowing the structure built in Jeff's honor has now helped a rider," he told CBS Colorado. "That's what it was meant to do."He noted that section of trail now has much better signage to alert cyclists to the "bailout" point and shelter. The Palisade Plunge is a 32-mile path from the top of Grand Mesa to Palisade. It opened in 2018. The Higgins family has been unable to make contact with the three cyclists who stopped to help Jeff Higgins on the trail four years ago. Amy Higgins said she wants to meet them and thank them, if possible.Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
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