CAIRO: Egyptian security forces have mistakenly killed 12 people, including Mexican tourists, while chasing jihadists in the country’s vast Western Desert, drawing condemnation and calls for an investigation from Mexico.
A joint police and military operation Sunday “chasing terrorist elements” had “mistakenly” targeted four pick-up trucks carrying Mexican tourists, the interior ministry said in a statement.
At least two Mexicans were killed, Mexico’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
A joint force from the Egyptian police and military was chasing militants in the country’s vast western desert, which borders Libya, when it inadvertently opened fire on the convoy.
The convoy was made up of four four-wheel drive vehicles, the Egyptian interior ministry said in a statement, and there will be an investigation into how and why the tourists entered an off-limits area.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto condemned the attack on his Twitter account, describing it as a tragic incident and demanding a full investigation.
“Mexico condemns these deeds against our citizens and has demanded an exhaustive investigation of what has occurred,” he tweeted.
