Syria has urged the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian authorities to launch an independent investigation into the sinking of the cargo ship Alfa Watan in the Black Sea, where ten crew members, including nine Syrians, are missing. Mazen Aloush, director of international relations for the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs, emphasized the need to understand why search and rescue operations were halted before determining the crew’s fate.
Bulgaria announced it stopped the search after the ship sank, reportedly due to a drone strike approximately 70 nautical miles off its coast. Vice-Admiral Rumen Nikolov confirmed that no traces of the crew were found and that the rescue operation would not continue. The attack on the Alfa Watan, which occurred in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, remains shrouded in uncertainty regarding the responsible party.
Aloush condemned the targeting of the civilian vessel as a severe violation of maritime safety, posing risks to sailors and international trade routes. He called for all available technical resources to locate and inspect the wreckage to ascertain the incident’s cause. Additionally, he urged international maritime organizations to enhance protection measures for commercial shipping in the increasingly perilous Black Sea region.
