DAMASCUS, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Syria's interim administration imposed curfews in several cities on Wednesday following protests triggered by online footage purportedly showing an attack on an Alawite shrine in Aleppo.

The authorities announced a 24-hour curfew in the western coastal cities of Tartous and Latakia, and the central city of Homs, effective from 5 a.m. (0200 GMT) on Thursday.

In a statement, the authorities warned citizens to comply with the curfews, saying security forces were authorized to conduct raids and enforce them immediately. "Anyone who violates these directives or contributes to chaos will face swift action," the statement read.

The interim administration also announced a security campaign targeting what they called "remnants of the former regime" and anyone inciting disorder, "regardless of sect or background." They warned that anyone taking up arms against security units would face a "decisive response."

Protests erupted in multiple Syrian cities on Wednesday after the video circulated online, along with reports of five shrine caretakers killed, according to a war monitor. Demonstrators in Latakia, Tartous, Homs, Damascus, and Hama denounced the incident as an attack on a key religious symbol for the Alawite community.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some protesters called for punishing the perpetrators, expelling foreign fighters allied with the new ruling group, and releasing former officers still in detention. They also demanded an end to the targeting of Alawites, the Observatory said. Eyewitnesses reported some injuries as security forces dispersed crowds, it added.

The interim Interior Ministry claimed the video was old footage from a previous incident during the "liberation of Aleppo." Officials accused loyalists of the ousted Assad regime of exploiting the incident to incite discord, alleging some had attacked security forces in the coastal region, causing casualties.

Mohammad Yaqoub al-Omar, Syria's interim information minister, said the government remained committed to protecting sacred and historical sites, accusing "hidden hands" of seeking to inflame strife. He assured the public there had been no such attacks since the new leadership took power and that any attempts at sectarian unrest would be met with "firm" responses.

The shrine, dedicated to Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein Al-Khaseebi, a revered figure for Alawites, holds significant religious importance for the community. Local leaders and clerics have called for accountability for any crimes against religious symbols, stressing the importance of peaceful coexistence during Syria's ongoing transition. Enditem

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