Syria Demands Independent Investigation Into Black Sea Ship Sinking and Missing Crew

Syria has called for an “independent and transparent” investigation into the sinking of a cargo ship in the Black Sea, demanding answers over the fate of the ship’s 10 crew members, including nine Syrians and an Egyptian, who remain unaccounted for.

The Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan went down in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone early on Tuesday amid a rising number of drone strikes hitting Black Sea shipping during the Russia-Ukraine war. It remains unclear who carried out the attack.

Mazen Aloush, from Syria’s port authority, asked the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Bulgarian authorities to find out why a search and rescue mission was called off before the missing sailors were located. “Their fate is still unknown,” said Aloush, adding that “the reasons that led to the suspension of search and rescue operations” had to be established.

Tuesday’s attack also struck the Palau-flagged Able, setting it ablaze. Eighteen Turkish and Indian crew members were rescued from the burning vessel, while the Alfa Watan sank. Both commercial ships were managed by Turkey-based companies, according to the Equasis merchant shipping database.

The Syrian sailors’ union stated that contact with the ship’s crew had been lost and no survivors had been found after search operations were halted.

Aloush condemned the targeting of a civilian commercial vessel, calling it a serious breach of maritime security and a direct threat to sailors. He stated that the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs was closely monitoring the incident and urged authorities to use all available technical means to locate and inspect the wreckage to help determine the cause of the sinking. Furthermore, he called on international and maritime bodies to strengthen measures to protect commercial shipping as attacks in the Black Sea continue to rise.