Egypt says attack which killed 12 Mexicans mistaken for militants was an ‘accident’

Egyptian Army aircraft hunting for militants in the desert mistakenly bombed a convoy of mostly Mexican tourists, killing 12 people and wounding 10, authorities said on Monday. Survivors said their group was bombed from a plane and helicopters. As members of the tourist convoy tried to flee, additional forces on the ground fired on them, Egyptian security sources said. Egypt’s interior ministry described the attack in the country’s western desert as an accident.

As far as I understand … they were dining when they came under attack … They were in a permitted area. On this occasion they didn’t stay to camp, because that was what was not permitted.

Gabriela Bejarano

Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto said two Mexicans were killed in Sunday’s incident, though Egyptian security and judicial sources later said eight Mexicans and four Egyptians were killed. The sources said eight Mexicans and two Egyptians were wounded. In Mexico, the sister of a Reiki healer who said her brother was among the dead, said a relative of the group’s tour guide had sent her a list of eight Mexicans killed in the attack. The group of 22 had parked their four 4x4 vehicles off-road on Sunday for a barbecue near the Bahariya oasis, a tourist site in the western desert, when army aircraft suddenly began shelling them from above, security sources said.

Because of this negligence and lack of coordination between the ministry of tourism and ministry of interior, Egypt… will pay the price when this affects tourism.

Tour guide syndicate leader Hassan al-Nahla