Syria's new rebel-led authorities say supporters of deposed President Bashar al-Assad have killed 14 Interior Ministry troops in an “ambush” in the country's west.
They say 10 other troops were injured Tuesday in fighting near the Mediterranean port city of Tartous, a stronghold of Assad's Alawite Muslim sect.
According to reports, security forces were ambushed while trying to arrest a former officer in connection with his role in the notorious Saydnaya prison, close to the capital Damascus.
Just over two weeks ago, Assad's presidency fell to rebels led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction.
The Britain-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said three “armed men,” whom it did not identify, were also killed during the clashes.
The SOHR added that security forces later brought reinforcements.
In a separate development, Syrian authorities have imposed a curfew in the central city of Homs, state media reported.
Reports say this followed unrest over a video allegedly showing an attack on an Alawite shrine.
The Interior Ministry said the images are old and date from a rebel offensive against Aleppo in late November, and that the violence was carried out by unknown groups.
The SOHR said one protester was killed and five were injured in Homs.
Demonstrations were also reported in the cities of Tartous and Latakia, and Assad's hometown of Qardaha, among others.
Alawites are an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which many members of the former regime's political and military elite belonged, including Assad's family.
The community fears revenge, with members blamed for torture and killings in Syria under Assad.
Former officers are refusing to hand over weapons and locals in some towns are suggesting they want to fight back, which appears to have been the case in Tartous.
There have been calls from Alawite religious leaders for a general amnesty for Alawites – but this is unlikely due to the many alleged war crimes committed by its members.
Tens of thousands of people were tortured to death in prisons in Syria, thousands of families are still waiting for answers and justice.
Syrians are calling for justice and justice for those responsible – exactly what Alawite members are concerned about.
The HTS-led lightning offensive that started from northeastern Syria and spread across the country ended more than fifty years of Assad rule.
Assad and his family were forced to flee to Russia.
HTS has since pledged to protect the rights and freedoms of many religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.
The group is designated as a terrorist organization by the UN, US, EU, Britain and others.
Protests broke out in the country on Tuesday over the burning of a Christmas tree, prompting new calls for the new authorities to protect minorities.
Additional reporting by Lina Sinjab in Damascus
