France, July 7 -- Two bombs exploded on Tuesday near Macron's hotel, killing 18 people, including four police officers, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry.

The explosions highlight the scale of the security challenges facing Syria, where President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who led the rebellion that toppled Assad, is attempting to rebuild the country after 13 years of war.

Sharaa has forged close ties with Western and Middle Eastern powers that had shunned Assad, though his efforts to build a more inclusive political settlement have been tested by outbreaks of violence between pro-government forces and members of religious and ethnic minority groups.

Hundreds of people were killed in the unrest last year.

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