Tourists Killed in Egypt In Lieu of Terrorists

Twelve people, including two Mexican tourists, were reported killed Sunday when Egyptian forces mistook a tourist convoy in Egypt’s western desert for a group of terrorists, according to official accounts from Egypt and Mexico.

Ten other people, including five Mexicans, were reported injured.

Egyptian authorizes described the incident as a case of mistaken identity in the isolated Al Wahat area, where Egyptian police and armed forces are battling insurgent groups.

The vast and remote zone is more than 200 miles southwest of Cairo, the capital.

While details were still vague, it appeared from official and media accounts that Egyptian authorities suspected that a four-vehicle convoy carrying tourists in the western desert was actually ferrying insurgents active in the zone.

It was unclear how exactly Egyptian authorities confronted the tourist vehicles. At least one press account indicated an aerial attack, but that was not confirmed.

There were also conflicting reports early Monday about whether the area where the incident occurred was officially open or closed to tour groups.

A total of 12 people were killed and 10 injured in the incident, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Two Mexican citizens were among those confirmed killed, according to a statement from the Mexican Foreign Ministry. Five other Mexicans were described as being in “stable” condition in an area hospital, the Foreign Ministry said.

Mexico's ambassador to Egypt, Jorge Alvarez Fuentes, has spoken to the five hospitalized Mexican nationals, the Mexican government said.

The nationalities of the other victims were not immediately known publicly.

Mexican authorities were in the process of identifying the casualties, said the statement from Mexico City.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto condemned the incident in a Twitter statement and called for a “thorough investigation.”    Read More: