Security forces in Egypt have mistakenly killed 12 people, including Mexican tourists, during an anti-terror operation, the interior ministry says.<\/p>\n
The tourists were travelling in four vehicles that entered a restricted zone in the Wahat area of the Western Desert, a ministry statement said.<\/p>\n
Ten Mexicans and Egyptians were also injured and are being treated in a local hospital.<\/p>\n
The ministry said it had formed a team to investigate the incident.<\/p>\n
Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto condemned the incident and said he had “demanded an exhaustive investigation by the Egyptian government”.<\/p>\n
The Mexican foreign ministry confirmed that at least two of its nationals had been killed and said it was working to confirm the identities of the other victims.<\/p>\n
In a statement, it said Mexico’s ambassador in Egypt, Jorge Alvarez Fuentes, had visited the local hospital and spoken to five Mexicans who were in a stable condition.<\/p>\n
The statement (in Arabic) from Egypt’s interior ministry said the four vehicles the tourists were travelling in were “mistakenly dealt with” during a joint military police and armed forces operation.<\/p>\n
It said the incident happened on Sunday in an area that “was off limits to foreign tourists” but it did not give an exact location.<\/p>\n
The tour company transporting the tourists “did not have permits and did not inform authorities”, tourism ministry spokesman Rasha Azaz told the AP news agency.<\/p>\n
The vast Western Desert area is popular with foreign sightseers, but is also attractive to militants, reports the BBC’s Orla Guerin in Cairo.<\/p>\n
A joint force from the Egyptian police and military was pursuing militants in the area – which borders Libya – when the incident happened, officials say.<\/p>\n
The region is a gateway to the long border and weapons are available on the other side, our correspondent adds.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, the Islamic State (IS) group in Egypt claimed it had “resisted a
\nmilitary operation” in the desert.<\/p>\n
A group claiming to be affiliated with IS also said on Sunday that it was present in Farafra.<\/p>\n
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