DAMASCUS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Syrian authorities imposed a partial curfew in the coastal city of Latakia on Tuesday following days of sectarian clashes, state media reported.
The curfew, in effect from 5:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday to 6:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, aims to restore calm and protect civilians, state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV reported. It does not apply to emergency cases, medical staff, ambulance crews, or firefighting teams.
Security forces in Latakia also arrested 21 "former regime remnants" for "sectarian incitement and targeting internal security forces," the report added.
The decision came after protest-related violence in Latakia on Sunday killed at least three people and injured 60 others, according to Syrian authorities, who said the casualties resulted from attacks by "remnants of the former regime" on security forces and civilians.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddin al-Baba condemned acts of vandalism, incitement, and lawlessness, warning that legal measures will be taken against those targeting public or private property.
"The state rejects any behavior that threatens public order and national unity," he said.
Syria has seen a surge of protests -- some turning violent -- in coastal hubs including Latakia and Tartus, and in central cities such as Homs and Hama, following a mosque bombing in Homs on Friday that killed at least eight Alawite worshippers.
On Sunday, Syrian authorities said army units, supported by armored vehicles, entered the centers of Latakia and Tartus to "restore security and stability" after a surge in attacks by "outlawed groups." Meanwhile, Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces killed Alawite protesters in Latakia while dispersing crowds calling for political rights and protection.
The developments occurred in a region considered the heartland of Syria's Alawite minority, which has faced successive waves of violence since a lightning military offensive ousted President Bashar al-Assad last December. The militant-turned authorities in Damascus have rejected allegations of using excessive force against the Alawites. ■
