Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs called for an independent, transparent investigation into the sinking of a merchant ship in the Black Sea, after confirming that nine Syrians were among its ten crew members. Bulgarian authorities, meanwhile, announced that search operations had ended without finding any survivors.

Mazen Alloush, director of the authority’s International Relations and Cooperation Department, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday, October 8, that the ship had carried ten crew members, nine Syrians and one Egyptian, whose fate remained unknown.

Alloush said the authority had sent “urgent official memoranda” to the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian maritime authorities, requesting an independent, transparent investigation to establish the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible. It also sought an explanation for why search and rescue operations had been halted before conclusive information was obtained about the missing sailors’ fate.

Alloush described the incident as “a serious attack” on a civilian merchant ship. He said the authority was pursuing the case in coordination with the relevant diplomatic and official bodies to “safeguard the rights of the missing sailors and their families.”

His remarks came two days after the Alfa Watan, a Togo-flagged cargo ship owned by a Syrian investor, sank in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea following a drone attack. Those responsible for launching the drones have not been identified.

Ship Sank Within Minutes

The attack occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, October 6, targeting two merchant ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, according to the Bulgarian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

The Alfa Watan, which was carrying salt, was hit by two missiles that caused extensive structural damage. It sank within ten minutes of being struck.

No crew members have been reported found since the attack. Bulgarian authorities subsequently ended search and rescue operations without locating any survivors.

The Syrian sailors’ families have been anxiously awaiting news since the incident, having lost contact with their relatives while waiting for official information about their fate.

According to local reports monitored by Enab Baladi after the sinking, several of the missing sailors come from Syria’s coastal areas and the western Homs countryside (central Syria), particularly Tartous, Baniyas, Sheikh Badr, al-Khawabi (western Syria), and Qalaat al-Hosn (western Homs countryside).

Crew of Another Ship Rescued

The attack on the Alfa Watan coincided with an attack on a second merchant ship, the Palau-flagged Able.

The attack set the ship on fire, but a Bulgarian ferry rescued all 18 crew members, including 11 Turkish nationals and seven Indian nationals, according to official information relayed by the union representing Syrian seafarers and high-seas workers.

Two crew members were also taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Following an emergency cabinet meeting, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the attack had occurred about 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers)  off the Bulgarian coast. He described it as “a blatant violation of international law and maritime law.”

Those responsible for the attack remain unidentified. Bulgarian authorities began investigating the circumstances while searching for the Alfa Watan’s crew, before later announcing that search operations had ended.

Previous Incidents Involving Syrian Sailors

The incident follows repeated attacks on merchant ships carrying Syrian sailors in the Black Sea over recent months.

On July 20, Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs condemned attacks on merchant ships carrying Syrian crews and sailors in Ukrainian ports and surrounding areas of the Black Sea.

That statement followed an attack on a cargo ship off the coast of the Ukrainian city of Odesa that killed and injured Syrian sailors.

At the time, the authority called for an independent, transparent international investigation to establish the circumstances of the attacks and identify those responsible. It stressed the right of affected crews and victims’ families to legal protection and compensation under international conventions.

Maritime risk firm Ambrey reports that at least 45 merchant ships have been attacked over the past 12 months in parts of the Black Sea that had not previously been classified as high-risk areas.

With Bulgarian search operations now over, the fate of the nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian sailor aboard the Alfa Watan remains unknown. Damascus is seeking answers about the circumstances of the attack, those responsible, and the reasons for ending search and rescue operations.