Syrian police impose curfew in Homs after unrest By Reuters

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – Syrian police imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, following unrest there linked to protests that residents say were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shiite Muslim religious communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the protesters’ demands and the extent of the unrest.

Some residents say the protests are linked to crackdowns and violence in recent days targeting members of the Alawite minority, a sect long considered loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by Sunni Islamist rebels on December 8.

Spokesmen for Syria’s new ruling administration, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.

State media reported that the curfew was imposed overnight from 6 pm local time (1500 GMT) until 8 am on Thursday.

The country’s new leaders have repeatedly pledged to protect minority religious groups, who fear that the former rebels now in control may seek to impose a conservative form of Islamist rule.

Smaller demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near the Syrian coast, home to a large majority of the country’s Alawite minority, including the city of Tartus.

The demonstrations came around the time an undated video appeared on social media showing a fire at an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with gunmen walking around inside and taking pictures of human bodies.

The Interior Ministry said on its official Telegram account that the video was dated to a rebel attack on Aleppo in late November and that the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever shared the video now appeared to be trying to incite sectarian clashes. :

The ministry also reported that some members of the former regime attacked Interior Ministry forces in the coastal region of Syria on Wednesday, resulting in casualties and injuries.