Syria calls for independent probe into sinking of ship in Black Sea

A cargo ship, the Alfa Watan, sank in the Black Sea off the Bulgarian coast on Tuesday. The ship, which was Turkish-owned, had 10 crew members on board - nine from Syria and one from Egypt. According to Bulgaria's Maritime Administration Executive Agency, search and rescue operations were called off on Wednesday after a boat, three life rafts, and parts of the ship's equipment were found, but "no traces" of the crew members.

Syria has called for an independent investigation into the sinking of the ship, to be conducted by Bulgaria and the International Maritime Organization. Mazen Aloush, a director at the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs, said the investigation should examine why the search for the crew was called off before their fate was determined. He also urged that "all available technical means" be used to reach the wreck and determine what happened.

The incident has raised concerns, with Russia suspected of involvement in the attack, which occurred during the war in Ukraine. A second ship was damaged on the same day as the Alfa Watan, but all its crew members were rescued. According to The National UAE, it was not certain who carried out the attack, which took place off the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, The National UAE, The National Business — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.