Syrian forces impose curfew in Alawite stronghold after major protests

Syrian forces are enforcing a curfew in the western city of Latakia, Syria, home to thousands of Alawite minority members, just days after waves of deadly protests against Damascus.

The curfew will be in effect in Latakia from 5 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday, state-affiliated media reported. The Syrian government has not confirmed if the curfew will continue past Wednesday morning.

The curfew is part of a broader police crackdown that has taken shape this week on Syria’s western coast following days of bloody riots that have injured at least four people and injured more than 100.

Syrian Armed Forces arrived Sunday in Latakia with tanks and armored vehicles after thousands of Alawites began protesting in the region. The Syrian Defense Ministry said troops were responding to reports of attacks on security personnel and civilians from “outlaw groups” in the region and would remain until peace was restored.

Violence intensified Sunday after confrontations between protesters and pro-government counter-protesters culminated in an attack on security forces by masked gunmen in Latakia.

Syrian officials said the attacks were likely carried out by the remnants of the regime of deposed Syrian leader Bashar Assad. The Assad family, which ruled Syria for more than 50 years, belonged to the Alawite community.

The demonstrations were sparked in part by the bombing on Friday of an Alawite mosque in Homs. The attack, which killed eight people, is the latest incident of sectarian violence in Syria after the fall of Mr. Assad’s presidency.

The Sunni extremist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack.

Alawite religious leaders say the bombing is further evidence of the rampant discrimination and sectarian violence carried out by the Sunni-led Syrian government. Protesters this week called for the creation of a decentralized government in Syria, which would afford minority communities more autonomy.

This week’s protests are the most intense clashes between Syrian government forces and Alawites since March, when at least 1,000 people were killed in fighting between pro-Assad forces and troops aligned with the Syrian transitional government, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.