Syrian authorities have implemented an overnight curfew in Homs following unrest tied to protests reportedly led by members of the Alawite and Shi’ite Muslim communities, state media announced.
The curfew, which ranges from 6 p.m. local time to 8 a.m. on Thursday, follows the clashes that broke out after new violence and pressure mounted targeting Alawites, who said. The Alawite sect, which, for centuries, was particularly loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad, has grown increasingly tense since Sunni Islamist rebels overthrew Assad’s regime on December 8.
While the specific demands of the protesters are unclear, reports indicate that unrest reached other coastal regions with Alawite populations, particularly Tartous. Syrian government officials from the HTS-controlled government, a former al-Qaeda affiliate now in power, have not issued statements in response to the protests and curfew.
Sectarian fears have heightened following the circulation of an undated video showing armed men inside an Alawite shrine in Aleppo, reportedly taken during the rebel offensive in November. The video showed a fire and people posing near human bodies, with the interior ministry warning that its recent circulation aims to incite sectarian tensions.
The ministry also stated on Wednesday that remnants of the previous regime attacked its forces in Syria’s coastal areas, killing and wounding people. HTS leaders have repeatedly pledged to protect minority religious groups, but concerns persist about the group’s potential to impose a strict Islamist rule.
The situation underlines the fragile balance in post-Assad Syria where sectarian divisions pose big challenges to stability under new leadership.
