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The disastrous shooting up by Egyptian security forces of a tourist convoy in the Western Desert is yet another sign of growing instability in the Arab world’s most populous country.

With six wounded, that would at least leave five unaccounted for.

Egyptian security forces have mistakenly killed 12 tourists in a counter-terrorism raid conducted in the Western Desert near the border with Libya.

Egypt’s Tourism Ministry, for its part, said the tourists had been in an off-limit area and had been using unlicensed vehicles for a safari expedition that had not been approved by the local authorities.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group in Egypt said in a statement that it had “resisted a military operation in the Western Desert” on Sunday.

Mexico will wait for the results of an Egyptian government investigation into the mistaken attack by security forces that killed eight Mexican tourists before determining what action to take, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Claudia Ruiz Massieu, Mexico’s foreign minister – and most recently, the tourism minister – said on Monday that only two Mexicans were confirmed dead by the government.

She called for a “comprehensive, prompt and transparent investigation” into the “tragic and unprecedented events” on Sunday.

On Sunday at around four in the afternoon, the Egyptian security forces allegedly killed 12 tourists and guides and injured 10 others during an anti-terror operation in the Bahariya oasis in Egypt’s western desert.

Egypt says its forces had been pursuing Islamic militants in the Western Desert and mistook the Mexican tourists for the militants.

The group of 22 tourists was travelling in the White Desert, a rolling plane of sandy dunes and wind-beaten stone when security forces opened fire on them, killing 12 people and wounding 10.

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.

According to Mexico’s foreign minister, Egypt will provide proper medical treatment to the victims and aid in the repatriation of the bodies back to Mexico, AP reported. They are being treated at a hospital in suburban Cairo. “Some attempted to run but the military...

There was no public feasibility study, just an order from the new president.

A former army chief, Sisi led the army to oust Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, in a 2013 coup following protests against his rule.