Witnesses say residents of a violence-hit city in Syria are setting up their own checkpoints to guard against armed youths roaming the streets.
A Latakia resident says the streets are mostly deserted on Monday after unidentified men carrying sticks and hunting rifles pulled over cars and asked for IDs on Sunday and through the night. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Witnesses say they don't know if the men were working for the government.
The army deployed in Latakia on Sunday after witnesses and human rights groups said government forces opened fire on demonstrators. Syria has been rocked by more than a week of demonstrations that have exploded nationwide. Security forces have fired on demonstrators in at least six places, killing dozens.
