Protests have erupted across Syria after masked gunmen set fire to a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town near Hama.

The incident sparked outrage among religious minorities and raised questions about the security of Christians under the new Islamist leadership.

A video shared on social media showed two masked men burning the tree in the town’s main square on the eve of Christmas celebrations.

The arson attack, which was widely condemned, prompted thousands of demonstrators to take to the streets, demanding protection for religious minorities.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist faction that recently took power after toppling President Bashar al-Assad, said the men responsible for the attack were foreign fighters. The group announced that the suspects had been detained.

In a bid to reassure the Christian community, a religious leader from HTS addressed the crowds in Suqaylabiyah, promising that the tree would be repaired by morning. In a symbolic gesture of solidarity, the leader held up a cross, a rare move for Islamist conservatives.