The consecutive explosions that rocked the Syrian capital, Damascus, coinciding with the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, clearly reveal the depth of security fragility and the failure of the new Syrian government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa to control the streets and secure highly fortified zones, despite imposing strict security measures accompanying the visit of a high-level international delegation.
The following is an objective journalistic report documenting the aspects of this security failure, based on data and indicators published by major international news agencies and newspapers.
Breach of the Most Fortified Security Zone in Damascus
Despite the current Syrian government’s efforts to market an image of “complete stability” and attract foreign investment, events on the ground exposed the falsehood of these claims through coordinated explosions that struck the heart of the capital:
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Falsehood of the Official Narrative Regarding Distance: Official statements from the Ministry of Interior and Syrian officials attempted to cover up the incident by claiming that the explosions occurred outside the security perimeter designated for the French guest’s protection. However, The New York Post and the BBC confirmed with precise figures that the two improvised explosive devices detonated only 410 feet (about 125 meters) away from the Four Seasons Hotel, where Macron spent the night.
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State of Panic and Emergency Measures Inside the Hotel: Agence France-Presse (AFP) confirmed, quoting eyewitnesses, that the explosions caused clear confusion, prompting hotel security to issue urgent orders to the delegations and figures who had met with the French president to immediately head to the lower parking garage and remain detained there for their protection. This proves that the threat reached the core of the diplomatic residence.
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Casualties and Losses Among Government Officials: Reuters and the French newspaper Le Monde reported that the explosions (resulting from a device in a car and another in a garbage can) injured 18 people, including 4 members of the Syrian police, in addition to injuring Faraj al-Qashquosh, the Deputy Minister of Tourism in the current government, and shattering the facades of the Ministry of Tourism building facing the hotel directly.
Lawlessness and Government Failure: Damascus Exposed Security-Wise
The recurrence of explosions within a few days reflects the failure of the new government’s intelligence and security apparatus to impose its control on the ground, placing the capital in the category of unsafe cities:
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Repeated Intelligence Failure: This incident was not isolated; it came less than a week after another explosion noted by The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Fox News, where an explosive device detonated in a crowded cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing 10 people and injuring more than 20 others.
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Inability to Secure Official Delegations: The occurrence of 4 consecutive explosions within one week in fortified sovereign, judicial, and tourist areas in Damascus demonstrates that the security apparatus is incapable of detecting and preventing bombing networks, and that its executive capacity is limited to denying facts through the official state news agency (SANA).
Al-Sharaa’s Past and the Roots of Terrorism
These security breaches place the government of Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani) in an international political dilemma, as the current chaos serves as a reminder of the nature and roots of this authority:
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A History Filled with Terrorist and Jihadi Operations: In their reports, Fox News, The Guardian, and The New York Post focused on reminding readers of the true identity of Ahmad al-Sharaa as the former leader of “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (formerly Al-Nusra Front), which represented the official branch of the terrorist Al-Qaeda organization in Syria—organizations that for years led widespread bombing and jihadi liquidation operations.
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International Criticism of Normalization with a “Former Jihadi” Regime: International media outlets pointed out that the current push by French President Emmanuel Macron or previous meetings in Washington face scathing human rights and political criticism, as they seek to normalize relations and reopen embassies with an authority originating from an extremist ideology, at a time when this authority is unable to protect the security of its own citizens and visitors in the heart of the capital.
Collapse of Control Claims and Exposure of Government Failure
These coordinated attacks in the heart of the capital strike down all the claims marketed by Ahmad al-Sharaa regarding his ability to curb and control the jihadi groups deployed in Syria, many of whose leaders and elements he recently integrated and appointed to sensitive governmental and security positions in an attempt to legitimize them and consolidate his influence. The explosion of four improvised explosive devices and the breach of the presidential security zone facing the residence of a high-level international delegation prove the falsehood of official promises of control. It exposes the complete collapse of the intelligence apparatus of the new government, which has become incapable of controlling the factions that emerged from its own mantle. This escalating security breakdown puts the government’s legitimacy to the test and confirms that Damascus is experiencing a state of total security exposure that empties reconstruction agreements and diplomatic openness of their actual substance as long as the authority is incapable of imposing basic security within its most fortified zones.