Egyptian security forces shoot at Mexican tourist convoy, kill 12

Early reports had said two Mexicans were killed in the attack, while several outlets in Mexico put the number who died as high as eight.

Egyptian officials said the safari group did not have permission to be in the area, but have not offered a full account of Sunday’s incident, in which another 10 people were wounded.

Twelve people were killed in the incident, including two Mexican citizens, and a total of 10 people were wounded.

She said her ministry delivered a diplomatic note to the Egyptian ambassador in which the Mexican government expresses its “deep dismay over these deplorable events” and demands a “swift, exhaustive and deep investigation”.

Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto, called the killings “tragic” and demanded Sunday on Twitter that Egypt investigate them thoroughly.

Ruiz Massieu explained that the group had made a stop while on their way to the Bahariya Oasis, a tourist site in the western desert of Egypt, when they were attacked.

Jorge Alvarez Fuentes, Mexico’s ambassador to Egypt, and consular representatives were at the Dar el-Fouad Hospital in suburban Cairo, and Alvarez had interviewed five survivors, the Foreign Ministry statement said.

“The tragic incident is dire for a country that depends on tourism”, says Fadel.

“That means that the bodies have already deteriorated”, he said, “although the incident happened only 500 meters away from the road”.

The Egyptian government has confirmed the creation of a “committee of investigation” headed by acting Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb, Foreign Relations Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu said in a press conference. Stewart says Marisela, who also took part in the trip, was recovering from wounds suffered in the attack.

“We hope that the government of Egypt will act with the political will and promptness that this regrettable matter deserves”, Ruiz Massieu said. No details were provided about the identities of the tourists, other than that they had arrived in Egypt on Sept 11.

The Mexican tourists who unwittingly became targets of an Egyptian airstrike in the Western Desert on Sunday were in the middle of a picnic, witnesses revealed Monday.

Egypt has been roiled by turmoil since the military ousted Mohamed Morsi – the country’s first freely elected president – in a 2013 coup.

“They weren’t purported to be there”, she stated, however couldn’t present additional info on the circumstances of the capturing.

The vehicles used by the tourist convoy closely resembled those of the militants the joint force had been pursuing, security sources said.

The vast Western Desert, popular with tourists for its oases and rock formations, is also a hideout for armed groups.

In the statement, the ministry also claimed the vehicles had traveled in a restricted area that was “off limits to foreign tourists”. Police and military there have primarily been concerned with combatting smuggling along Egypt’s border with Libya.