Syria's Sharaa says Macron stayed in Damascus during deadly explosions

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa said French President Emmanuel Macron chose to continue his visit to Damascus when explosions rocked the capital during the trip. Speaking at a joint press conference at the People’s Palace, Sharaa said Macron decided to press on with the visit as soon as news of the blasts reached him, a stance the Syrian leader described as courageous. Sharaa suggested the attacks were carried out by parties unsettled by Syria’s recent gains, saying groups seeking to destabilize the country could resort to such actions. He added that an investigation is ongoing and expressed confidence that the perpetrators would be apprehended swiftly. Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said the explosions were caused by remote-controlled devices and that one of them had targeted the security perimeter assigned to Macron. The ministry said significant progress had been made in identifying those responsible. No further details were immediately available.