Syria has called for an "independent and transparent" investigation into the sinking of a cargo ship in the Black Sea, demanding clarity on the fate of 10 crew members aboard — nine Syrians and one Egyptian — who remain missing.
The Togo-flagged vessel Alfa Watan sank in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone early Tuesday, amid a surge in drone attacks on shipping in the Black Sea linked to the Russia-Ukraine war. It remains unclear which force carried out the attack.
Mazen Aloush, of Syria's ports authority, has asked the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Bulgarian authorities to explain why the search-and-rescue operation was halted before the missing sailors were found.
"Their fate remains unknown," Aloush said, adding that "the reasons that led to the suspension of the search-and-rescue operation" must be established.
Tuesday's attack also struck the Palau-flagged vessel Able, setting it on fire. Eighteen crew members — Turkish and Indian nationals — were rescued from the burning ship, while the Alfa Watan sank. According to the Equasis shipping database, both commercial vessels are managed by companies based in Turkey.
The Syrian sailors' union said contact with the ship's crew was lost and that no survivors were found after the search was called off.
Aloush condemned the targeting of a civilian commercial ship, calling it a serious violation of maritime security and a threat to sailors. He said Syria's General Directorate of Ports and Customs is closely monitoring the incident.
He also urged authorities to use all available technical means to locate and inspect the wreck, in order to help establish the cause of the sinking, and called on international and maritime bodies to step up measures to support commercial shipping amid the growing attacks in the Black Sea.
