curl fails with "NSS error -5961" or "curl: (35) SSL connect error" on retrieving a https URL

Issue

• A verbose curl to a https URL shows the below:

  [root@hostname ~]# curl -v https://example.com/test.txt
  * About to connect() to example.com port 443 (#0)
  *   Trying 192.168.5.5... connected
  * Connected to example.com (192.168.5.5) port 443 (#0)
  * Initializing NSS with certpath: sql:/etc/pki/nssdb
  *   CAfile: /etc/pki/tls/certs/ca-bundle.crt
  CApath: none
  * NSS error -5961
  * Closing connection #0
  * SSL connect error
  curl: (35) SSL connect error
  

  or

  # curl -v  https://example.com
  *   Trying 10.X.X.X…
  * TCP_NODELAY set
  * Connected to example.com (10.X.X.X) port 443 (#0)
  * ALPN, offering h2
  * ALPN, offering http/1.1
  * successfully set certificate verify locations:
  *   CAfile: /etc/pki/tls/certs/ca-bundle.crt
  CApath: none
  * TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS handshake, Client hello (1):
  * OpenSSL SSL_connect: SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL in connection to example:4903
  * Closing connection 0
  curl: (35) OpenSSL SSL_connect: SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL in connection to example.com:4903