The Syrian police imposed a curfew after unrest in the city of Homs

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – Syrian police imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs after state media reported violence that residents said was led by the minority Alawite and Shia Muslim communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the protesters’ intentions or the scale of the violence.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence aimed at members of the Alawite minority, who were seen as loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by Sunni Islamist rebels on December 8.

A spokesman 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 said the curfew was imposed overnight, from 6:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) local time until 8:00 a.m. Thursday.

The country’s new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect religious minorities, who fear the former rebels who are now in control could impose a conservative Islamic state.

Smaller demonstrations were held in other areas along or near the Syrian coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority lives, including the city of Tartus.

The demonstrations were sparked by an undated video posted on social media showing a fire at an Alawite shrine in the city of Halaba, with armed men moving inside and next to a body.

The Ministry of Interior announced on its official Telegram account that the video started with the rebel attack on Aleppo at the end of November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups.

The ministry said that some members of the former regime attacked the forces of the Ministry of Interior in the coastal area of ​​Syria last Wednesday and many were killed and wounded.