Egyptian security forces have killed 12 people, including Mexican tourists, after mistakenly targeting their vehicles while chasing jihadists.
The desert region, popular with tourists, is also a militant hideout, however a ministry statement claimed the tourists should not have been in the area and that their presence was “illegal”.
The statement from Egyptian interior ministry added that while police and armed forces were pursuing “terrorist elements” they accidentally engaged with a tourist convoy.
“On the 13th during a joint military police and armed forces operation chasing terrorist elements in Wahat in the Western Desert four pick-up trucks carrying Mexican tourists were mistakenly dealt with,” the interior ministry statement said.
“The incident resulted in the death of 12 Mexicans and Egyptians and the injury of 10 others who have been transferred to hospitals,” it said.
The statement added that the wounded were taken to hospital and an investigation had been launched into the circumstances of the incident.
Last month the Egyptian branch of the Islamic State group beheaded a young Croatian there who was working for a French company and have also launched numerous attacks against security forces.
Image: waterwin, Flickr
