Syria has formally requested an independent and transparent investigation into the sinking of the Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan in the Black Sea early Tuesday, citing concerns about 10 missing crew members comprising nine Syrian nationals and one Egyptian sailor.
The vessel went down in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone during an escalation of drone attacks on commercial shipping in the region. A second vessel, the Palau-flagged Able, was also targeted in the same incident, catching fire but enabling the rescue of 18 crew members from Turkey and India. Both ships were managed by companies based in Turkey, according to shipping databases.
Mazen Aloush, representing Syria’s port authority, raised questions about why search and rescue operations were suspended before missing sailors could be located. He stated that authorities must determine the reasons for halting recovery efforts and called on the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian authorities to conduct a full investigation. The Syrian sailors’ union confirmed that contact with the Alfa Watan’s crew had been lost and no survivors were located following the cessation of rescue operations.
Alough characterized the attack on a civilian commercial vessel as a serious violation of maritime security and a direct threat to sailor safety. He urged authorities to employ all available technical resources to locate and examine the wreckage to determine the vessel’s fate. He additionally called on international maritime bodies to strengthen protective measures for commercial shipping amid the rising frequency of attacks in the Black Sea region.
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