Egypt expresses sorrow to Mexico after tourists killed

Egypt's envoy to Mexico expressed his government's condolences on Monday after Egyptian security forces mistakenly targeted a group of tourists in a deadly incident condemned by the Mexican authorities.

"My main message right now is the deepest condolences and sympathies to the Mexican people. Our hearts ache with sorrow with the families," Ambassador Yasser Shaban told reporters at the Mexican foreign ministry.

"The Egyptian government is taking this incident very seriously," he said, noting that Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab would head a high-level investigative committee.

Egyptian authorities have said that security forces mistakenly killed 12 people and wounded 10 others when they struck their convoy while chasing jihadists in the Western Desert on Sunday.

Mexico's government said at least two of the dead and six of the wounded are Mexicans.

Shaban said the Mexican tourists "happened to be present in the area of operations" when they came under fire.

Egyptian military and police forces were "hunting terrorists utilizing four-by-four vehicles similar to those being used by the tourists, which resulted in the tourists coming under gunfire from the security forces," he said, without specifying what kind of weapons were used.

Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu said survivors told diplomats that they were bombed by an airplane and helicopters while they were taking a lunch break.

Shaban said the Egyptian interior ministry assured Mexico that it would "conduct the necessary investigation to fully determine the causes of the incident."
Source: AFP