Egyptian troops mistakenly shoot at Mexican tourist group, killing 12

Egyptian troops accidentally kill 12 Mexicans and Egyptians in tourist conovy

(Image credit: Twitter/@BBCworldservice)

published 14 September 2015

On Sunday, Egyptian security forces fired at a convoy of four-wheel drive vehicles in Egypt's western desert, and "the incident resulted in the death of 12 Mexicans and Egyptians and the injury of 10 others who have been transferred to hospitals," Egypt's Interior Ministry said in a statement. There will be an investigation into why the "mistakenly dealt with" Mexican tourist group was in the restricted Wahat area, the ministry added.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto condemned the attack and "demanded an exhaustive investigation by the Egyptian government." Egypt has been battling an Islamist insurgency since its military ousted President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Earlier Sunday, Islamic State said its forces had "resisted a military operation" by Egyptian forces in the same vast western desert region.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.