as thousands took to the streets across the religious minority's heartland following a deadly mosque bombing. Thousands in coastal provinces and central Syria participated in demonstrations called by a religious authority to protest the mosque attack in Homs on Friday that killed eight people and reignited minorities' fears under the new Islamist authorities. War monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian security forces shot and killed two people in the predominantly Alawite province of Latakia while dispersing a protest by members of the minority. Syria's official SANA news agency quoted the Latakia health directorate reporting "three deaths and 60 injuries" in "attacks by remnants of the former regime on security forces and civilians during protests in the city".

The interior ministry issued a statement later on Sunday announcing the death of one of its security personnel. A security source also confirmed to AFP that one of the three dead was a member of the General Security forces within the police department. AFP correspondents in Latakia and the coastal city of Jableh had seen security forces intervene to break up clashes between demonstrators and supporters of Syria's new Islamist authorities, firing gunshots in the air. Latakia's head of internal security Brigadier General Abdul Aziz al-Ahmad said "our security forces and protesters were subjected to direct fire from an unknown source", resulting in civilian and security personnel injuries, the interior ministry reported. Syrian forces were later deployed to also disperse government supporters, according to an AFP correspondent. The Observatory also reported violence in the city of Homs itself, with several injured. (Bssnews)