PARIS (AP) — The European Union lifted a wide range of sanctions on Syria on Wednesday, but slapped new ones on people and groups it says participated in attacks on civilians during a wave of violence in the Syrian coastal region in March.
The move lifted most sanctions that had been imposed on the country, including on its financial system, while keeping them in place on individuals and organizations in Syria it says violated human rights or for “security grounds,” like the extended family of former President Bashar Assad or its chemical weapons program, according to the text of the European Council on the decision.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had announced plans to lift the sanctions last week. She said the move was “conditional” and that sanctions could be resumed if the new government of Ahmad al-Sharaa - a former rebel commander who led the charge that unseated Assad in December - doesn’t keep the peace.
Kallas said in a statement Wednesday that removing sanctions “is simply the right thing to do, at this historic time, for the EU to genuinely support Syria’s recovery and a political transition that fulfils the aspirations of all Syrians.”
Wednesday’s decision slapped “restrictive measures” on two people and three armed groups that were accused of “targeting civilians and especially the Alawite community” - referring to the religious minority to which Assad belongs - during violence in March on the coast and of torture and “arbitrary killings of civilians.”
Clashes erupted at the time after a group of Assad loyalists attacked security forces near the coastal city of Latakia. Rights groups reported widespread revenge killings as militants from Syria’s Sunni majority - some of them officially affiliated with the new government’s security forces - targeted Alawites, regardless of whether they were involved in the insurgency. Hundreds of civilians were killed.
The new government in Damascus has promised to hold perpetrators accountable, but a body formed to investigate the violence has yet to release its findings. While there have not been large-scale attacks on Alawites since March, members of the community remain fearful and say that individual incidents of kidnappings and killing continue to take place.
The two people targeted by the new sanctions are Mohammad Hussein al-Jasim, leader of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade, and Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr, leader of the Hamza Division, both armed groups that the EU said had taken part in the attacks. The militias were also slapped with new sanctions, as was another armed group, the Sultan Murad Division.
Since seizing power, al-Sharaa's government has struggled to weld a patchwork of undisciplined former rebel factions together into a national army.
The lifting of the broader sanctions on Syria comes days after the United States granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions in a first step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 13 years of civil war. A measure by the U.S. State Department waived for six months a tough set of sanctions imposed by Congress in 2019.
The easing of sanctions removes one of the major barriers to reconstruction of the country, which the United Nations in 2017 estimated would cost at least $250 billion. Some experts now say that number could reach at least $400 billion.
The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syrians live in poverty and state-supplied electricity comes as little as two hours every day.
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Sewell reported from Beirut.
Trucks and vans carrying around 60 displaced families arrive in their village after more than five years in the Atmeh camps near the Syrian-Turkish border, in Kafr Sijna, south of Idlib, Syria, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
HOUSTON (AP) — The playoff-bound Houston Texans got their starters some rest on Sunday and the backups helped them get another win.
C.J. Stroud accounted for two touchdowns before sitting down at halftime and Ka’imi Fairbairn made a go-ahead field goal with 12 seconds left to lift the Texans to a 38-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts that extended their winning streak to nine games.
The victory gives the Texans (12-5) the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs and they will visit the Steelers next week.
Defensive tackle Tommy Togiai scooped up a fumble on the final play and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown to pad the lead.
The Texans clinched a third straight postseason berth last week and they had a chance to win the AFC South with a victory and a Jacksonville loss. But with the Jaguars up big over the Titans at halftime, coach DeMeco Ryans opted to rest quarterback Stroud, defensive stars Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley and several other starters after the break.
Houston is the fifth team since 1990 to open a season 0-3 and reach the playoffs and the first team to do it twice after the 2018 Texans also achieved the feat.
“Our guys were able to accomplish a lot of great things,” Ryans said. “No matter how dim it looked to start the season, I’m proud our guys for continue to battle every single week and finding a way to win games. Now we finish on a high note to win against a really good team.”
Stingley said the mindset that got them where they are now was a simple one.
“We treated every game like it was a playoff game,” he said. “So that’s how we went on our streak.”
The Colts led 30-29 after a field goal with about 2 1/2 minutes to go before Fairbairn's 43-yard kick put the Texans on top 32-30 and gave him a career-high six field goals in the game.
“We can’t be where we are right now without (Fairbairn) and what he’s been doing,” Ryans said.
Rookie Riley Leonard had 270 yards passing with two TDs and he ran for another score. But he also lost a fumble and threw an interception in his first NFL start after the 44-year-old Philip Rivers started the past three games for the Colts after coming out of retirement.
“I learned that he can definitely play in this league for a long time,” coach Shane Steichen said of Leonard. “To go out and do it against the top defense like he did was pretty impressive. He’s a competitor.”
It’s the seventh straight loss for the Colts (8-9), who were eliminated from postseason contention with Houston’s win last week.
“It was frustrating,” Steichen said. “The last half of this season, for sure. That’s what it’s been — not finding ways to finish. We’ve got to work tirelessly on getting that fixed.”
Stroud had an 11-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and added a 2-yard run in the period to put the Texans up 20-10.
The Texans trailed 27-26 early in the fourth when Alijah Huzzie picked off Leonard to give them great field position. They failed to move the ball and settled for a 44-yard field goal to take a 29-27 lead.
Jonathan Taylor had 14 carries for just 26 yards to end the season with 1,585 yards and finish second in the NFL in yards rushing behind Buffalo's James Cook.
Alec Pierce had four receptions for a season-high 132 yards with two touchdowns before being ejected late in the third quarter for making contact with an official. He was ejected when he brushed an official with his arm as he was complaining about a flag not being thrown on a pass intended for him in the end zone. He was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and disqualified.
He said he tried to apologize to the official.
“I just wanted to let him know I wasn’t trying to put hands on him or anything,” he said. “It was no malicious act.”
The Colts took a 24-23 lead on a 1-yard TD scamper by Leonard on Indy’s first drive of the second half. That score was set up by a 53-yard reception by Pierce.
Houston went back on top with a 43-yard field goal later in the third.
After the penalty on Pierce, the Colts settled for a 39-yard field goal that put them up 27-26.
Houston took a 13-10 lead when Stroud threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins with about 9 ½ minutes left in the first half.
About a minute later, Danielle Hunter sacked Leonard and caused a fumble which Henry To’oTo’o recovered on the 2-yard line. Stroud ran for the score on the next play to make it 20-10.
Pierce’s second touchdown came on an 8-yard grab that capped a 92-yard drive and cut the lead to 20-17 with about 90 seconds until halftime.
Fairbairn’s 29-yard field goal extended the lead to 23-17 at halftime.
Leonard connected with Pierce on a 66-yard touchdown pass to put the Colts up 7-3 early in the first.
Fairbairn’s second field goal of the game cut the lead to 7-6 later in the first.
A 50-yard field goal by Blake Grupe pushed Indy’s lead to 10-6 near the end of the quarter.
Houston RB Jawhar Jordan injured his ankle in the second quarter and didn’t return.
The Texans will hit the road to meet the Steelers on Jan. 12 in a wild-card playoff game.
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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) dives in an attempt to make a first down against the Houston Texans during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Houston Texans place kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, left, celebrates after a field goal against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Texans place kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn (15) kicks a field goal against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, left, celebrates his touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts with head coach Demeco Ryans, right, during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
