DAMASCUS: Thousands protested Wednesday in several areas of Syria after a video circulated showing an attack on an Alawite shrine in the country鈥檚 north, a war monitor and witnesses said.
Syria鈥檚 new authorities said the footage was 鈥渙ld鈥� and that 鈥渦nknown groups鈥� were behind the attack, saying 鈥渞epublishing鈥� the video served to 鈥渟tir up strife,鈥� a day after hundreds protested in Damascus against the torching of a Christmas tree.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 鈥渢housands of people鈥� took to the streets on Wednesday, with major demonstrations in the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, provinces that are the heartland of the Alawite minority which deposed ruler Bashar Assad hails from.
The Britain-based Observatory also reported protests in parts of the central city of Homs and other areas including Qardaha, Assad鈥檚 hometown.
Witnesses told AFP demonstrations broke out in Tartus, Latakia and nearby Jableh, where images showed large crowds in the streets, some chanting slogans including 鈥淎lawite, Sunni, we want peace.鈥�
State news agency SANA said police in central Homs imposed a curfew from 6:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) until 8:00 am on Thursday, while local authorities in Jableh also announced a nighttime curfew.
The Observatory said the protests erupted after a video began circulating earlier Wednesday showing 鈥渁n attack by fighters鈥� on an important Alawite shrine in the Maysaloon district of Syria鈥檚 second city Aleppo.
It said five workers were killed, adding that the shrine was set ablaze.
Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said the video was filmed early this month, after militants led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) launched a lightning offensive and seized control of major cities including Aleppo on December 1, ousting Assad a week later.

AFP was unable to independently verify the footage or the date of the incident.
The new authorities鈥� interior ministry also said the footage was 鈥渙ld and dates to the time of the liberation鈥� of the Aleppo this month.
The attack was carried out by 鈥渦nknown groups,鈥� the ministry statement said, adding that 鈥渞epublishing鈥� the footage served to 鈥渟tir up strife among the Syrian people at this sensitive stage.鈥�
Protester Ali Daoud said thousands attended the demonstration in Jableh, adding that: 鈥淲e are calling for those who attacked the shrine to be held to account.鈥�
Images showed a large crowd marching in the streets brandishing the three-star independence-era flag.
鈥淣o to burning holy places and religious discrimination, no to sectarianism, yes to a free Syria,鈥� one protest placard read.
In the city of Latakia, protesters decried 鈥渧iolations鈥� against the Alawite community, said protester Ghidak Mayya, 30.
鈥淔or now... we are listening to calls for calm,鈥� he said, warning that too much pressure on the community 鈥渞isks an explosion.鈥�
Tartus resident and protester, Alaa, 33, expressed concern that the situation could deteriorate, saying that 鈥渁 single drop of blood risks us back to very bad scenario.鈥�
Assad long presented himself as a protector of minority groups in Sunni Muslim-majority Syria.
Alawites fear backlash against their community both as a minority religious group and because of its long association with Assad鈥檚 family.
On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators protested in Christian areas of Damascus against the burning of a Christmas tree near central Syria鈥檚 Hama, with HTS vowing to restore it promptly.