DAMASCUS (Reuters) – Syrian police imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the Alawite and Shiite minority, state media reported.
Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the demands of the demonstrators or the degree of unrest that occurred.
Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days targeting members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by Sunni Islamist militants on December 8.
Spokesmen for Syria's new ruling administration led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a former branch of Al Qaeda, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.
State media said the curfew was imposed for one night, from 6pm (1500 GMT) local time until 8am on Thursday.
The country's new leaders have repeatedly pledged to protect religious minorities, who fear that the former rebels who now hold power will seek to impose a conservative form of Islamic rule.
Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near the Syrian coast, where most of the country's Alawite minority live, including the city of Tartous.
The demonstrations took place around the time of the spread of an undated video clip on social media showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men wandering inside and standing near human corpses.
The Ministry of Interior said on its official account on the Telegram application that the video dates back to the opposition attack on Aleppo in late November and that the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever is publishing the video now appears to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.
The ministry also said that some elements of the former regime attacked Interior Ministry forces in the Syrian coastal region on Wednesday, resulting in a number of deaths and injuries.
