Fourteen Syrian police officers killed in ambush by forces loyal to Assad, unrest spreads

(Patria) - Fourteen members of the Syrian police were killed in an "ambush" by forces loyal to the ousted government in a village near Tartous, the transitional administration announced early Thursday morning, as demonstrations and a curfew overnight in other places marked the most widespread unrest since the removal of Bashar
al-Assad more than two weeks ago, Reuters reported.

The new Syrian Minister of Interior said on Telegram that ten police officers were also injured by what he called "remnants" of the Assad government in Tartous, promising to deal with "anyone who dares to disturb the security of Syria or endanger the lives of its citizens".

Earlier, Syrian police imposed a curfew in the city of Homs overnight, state media reported, following unrest there related to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shiite Muslim religious communities.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days targeting members of the Alawite minority, a sect long considered loyal to Assad, who was overthrown by Sunni Islamist rebels on December 8.

Spokespersons for the new Syrian ruling administration, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on the curfew. State media reported that the curfew was imposed for one night, from 6 p.m. local time (3 p.m. GMT) to 8 a.m. on Thursday.

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

Small demonstrations were also held in other areas on or near the Syrian coast, where most of the country's Alawite minority lives, including Tartous. The demonstrations took place around the time a undated video circulated on social media showing a fire in an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking inside and posing near bodies.

The Ministry of Interior stated on its official Telegram account that the video dated back to the rebel offensive on Aleppo in late November and that the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever distributed the video now appears to be trying to incite sectarian conflict.

The ministry also stated that some members of the former regime attacked the Ministry of Interior forces in the coastal area of Syria on Wednesday, leaving a large number of dead and wounded.