BREAKINGBREAKING,

Television footage shows plumes of smoke rising in the sky; cause of the blasts not immediately clear.

Explosions have been heard in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising in the sky over the city on Tuesday.

The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear but there were fears of casualties.

A security official told Al Jazeera that two explosions happened in an area busy with civilians, calling it “a criminal act”.

An Al Jazeera correspondent said that two explosions were heard near the Ministry of Tourism, as well as a ⁠hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be ‌staying during a visit to the capital for talks with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

⁠Macron’s office said the president, who was on his way to meet al-Sharaa, did not hear ⁠the blasts.

The situation is “pretty calm” at the presidential palace, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reported from the site.

Last week, an explosion at a cafe in central Damascus killed at least nine people and wounded 20 others, according to Syria’s Ministry of Health.

More to come…