On September the 13th, 12 Mexican tourists, along with their Egyptian guides were at the Western Oasis, and they allegedly crossed a restricted military area with the SUVs. The military and security forces mistook them for terrorists, after ISIS threatened to attack the area earlier this morning on twitter, and with the area being filled with security forces, the tourists and guides were shot as soon as they entered.
The area has always been prohibited by campers, or any outsiders, due to security reasons, unless there’s an official license by the ministry of tourism.
#Egypt | #BREAKING : #ISIS announced its presence in Egypt’s Western Sahara Desert and clashes with the Egyptian army pic.twitter.com/zjHX7Uwtx1
— INC World (@INCWorldAgency) September 13, 2015
Like any tragic event, there’s the argument of who’s at fault – the guides or the police? Some are saying the government is at fault because they opened fire, and should have only arrested them. Others are saying it’s the tour guides’ fault since they must have known that it’s a prohibited area, and should’ve known the political situation before putting their tourists and their lives at risk.
We’re sending our deepest condolences to the family of the lost ones, and we hope serious action is taken with the unlicensed tour guides who, more than once, have put other people’s lives at risk.
