Syria has called for an “independent and transparent” investigation into the sinking of a cargo vessel in the Black Sea, pressing for clarity on the fate of 10 crew members who remain unaccounted for. The missing individuals include nine Syrians and one Egyptian citizen.
The Togolese-flagged ship, Alfa Watan, sank within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone early Tuesday. The incident adds to a growing tally of drone strikes targeting shipping in the region amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Authorities have not yet identified who was responsible for the attack.
Mazen Aloush, a representative of Syria’s port authority, urged both the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Bulgarian officials to determine why search and rescue efforts were suspended before the sailors could be located. “Their fate is still unknown,” Aloush said, emphasizing the need to establish the reasons behind the halt in operations.
The Tuesday attack also struck the Palau-flagged vessel Able, which caught fire. Eighteen crew members from Turkey and India were rescued from the burning ship, while the Alfa Watan went down. According to the Equasis merchant shipping database, both commercial vessels were managed by Turkish companies.
The Syrian sailors’ union reported that communication with the Alfa Watan’s crew was lost and confirmed that no survivors had been found after the search missions stopped. Aloush condemned the targeting of a civilian commercial vessel, describing it as a serious violation of maritime security and a direct threat to seafarers.
He stated that Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs is closely monitoring the situation and called on authorities to utilize all available technical resources to locate and inspect the wreckage. Aloush further urged international and maritime bodies to strengthen protective measures for commercial shipping as attacks in the Black Sea continue to rise.
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