The spokesman of the Ministry of Interior confirmed that investigations have reached an "initial lead" leading to the perpetrators of the twin bombings that took place earlier today, near the residence of French President Emmanuel Macron in the Victoria area of central Damascus.

Spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said in statements from the site of the explosion that preliminary data proved that the explosive devices were planted only minutes before the explosion and "not long ago", stressing that work is ongoing to pursue those involved, arrest them and refer them to the judiciary.

He added that the security authorities thwarted an attempt to target the security cordon tasked with protecting Macron, stressing that the explosive devices exploded at the edges of the security cordon and were unable to penetrate it.

The Pope considered that the aim of the operation was to target Syrian-French relations and negatively affect the French visit, which is relied on to conclude new economic partnerships with the Syrian Arab Republic.

The pope pointed out that a number of wounded, including members of the Internal Security Forces, explained that some of the injuries were described as "serious", stressing the continuation of the Interior Ministry's efforts to secure Syria for Syrians and visitors alike.

Pope: It is too early to announce the identification of the perpetrators of the Damascus bombings

The Pope touched on the bombing, which took place on Thursday (May 2nd) near the Palace of Justice in the city of Damascus, considering that the choice of the targeted sites carries political connotations and that the targeting of the vicinity of the Palace of Justice is linked to the symbolism of transitional justice and the accountability of the remnants of the former regime, while the latest bombing targeted the visit of the French president in an attempt to disrupt it and disrupt the strategic agreements to be signed.

It is "premature" to announce who was responsible for the bombings, he said, although there are preliminary indications about his identity, noting that the ministry will reveal the results of the investigations to the public during a press conference after the completion of security procedures and the arrest of the perpetrators.

He also pointed out that investigations are looking into the existence of a link between the recent bombing and previous terrorist operations that took place in the capital, Damascus, considering that the aim of these attacks is to show Syria as an insecure country and to influence the path of transitional justice.

Explosion of the "Al-Mushiriya" café in Damascus

Today's double bombing comes days after a deadly explosion hit the center of Damascus, where an explosion caused by an explosive device occurred at the "Al-Mushiriya" café on Al-Nasr Street, near the Justice Palace, on Thursday, July 2, killing 6 people and injuring 22 other café-goers, most of whom were lawyers.

The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced at the time that its units began their field procedures immediately after an explosion caused by an explosive device.

This came after initial information circulated on social media and local media that indicated that the explosion was likely caused by the explosion of a lithium battery or a gas cylinder inside the café, and no party has claimed responsibility for the past incident until the moment of writing this news.

Armed attack on security checkpoint south of Damascus

On July 3, 3 members of the security forces were wounded in an attack on a security checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Jaramana in the Damascus countryside, before the attacker was killed by the explosion of a grenade he was trying to throw.

The Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a security source at the time as saying that the checkpoint agents stopped two people who were riding a motorcycle to verify their identities, before one of them took the initiative to pull out a gun and shoot, then threw two hand grenades towards the checkpoint, which resulted in the injury of three officers.

The source added that the attacker tried to throw a third grenade, but it exploded with him, killing him instantly, and later state media circulated that the perpetrator of the attack was named Daniel Riad Daoud, who is wanted in cases of murder and drug trafficking.