DAMASCUS, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Syrian authorities imposed a curfew in central Syria's Homs on Sunday and deployed security forces after the killing of a Bedouin couple triggered retaliatory attacks and widespread unrest in the city.

The interior authorities said in a statement that a man and his wife from the Bani Khalid Bedouin tribe were found killed in their home in the town of Zaidal earlier in the day, with the woman's body partially burned and sectarian-charged graffiti found at the scene.

Specialized units have been collecting evidence and tracking suspects, they said, calling on residents to cooperate with security directives.

Murhaf al-Naasan, head of the Internal Security Forces in Homs, condemned the killing as a "heinous crime" aimed to "ignite sectarian discord among residents," and urged restraint.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, armed tribesmen carried out retaliatory attacks in the predominantly Alawite al-Muhajirin neighborhood in Homs, burning homes, damaging vehicles, and firing shots indiscriminately, causing civilian casualties and property damage.

Gunfire, arson, and isolated kidnapping incidents have spread across parts of Homs, the Britain-based war monitor said, without specifying the number of casualties involved.

Local witnesses have described the development as "uncontrolled chaos."

In response to the situation, the interior authorities decided to impose a curfew across the city, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time (1400 GMT Sunday to 0200 GMT Monday), to prevent further escalation and facilitate security operations, according to an official source cited by Syrian state media. Enditem