At least one man dead after group on holiday in Morocco enter Algerian territory off beach resort of Saïdia
At least one man dead after group on holiday in Morocco enter Algerian territory off beach resort of Saïdia-Image Source: The Guardian
Algerian authorities are believed to have shot dead a Moroccan tourist and left another missing after a group of holidaymakers accidentally strayed into Algerian waters on jetskis.
The group of four men, all of whom had French-Moroccan dual nationality, were on a jetski trip off the coast of the Moroccan beach resort of Saïdia on Tuesday when they took a wrong turn and crossed into Algerian waters.
They were reportedly fired upon by the Algerian coastguard, who mistook them for smugglers.
One of the men, Bilal Kissi, 29, was killed in the shooting. Another man, Abdelali Merchouer, is missing, presumed dead. A third man, Mohamed Kissi, was injured but survived. A fourth man, Smail Snabe, was arrested by the Algerian coastguard.
The Moroccan foreign ministry has condemned the shooting and called for the immediate release of Smail Snabe.
The incident has raised tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which have been rivals for decades. The two countries have been locked in a territorial dispute over the Western Sahara region since the 1970s.
The Moroccan government has demanded an explanation from the Algerian government for the shooting. The Algerian government has not yet commented on the incident.
The families of the victims are calling for justice and for the return of the body of Bilal Kissi.
This is a tragic incident that has caused a great deal of pain and suffering to the families of the victims. It is important that the Moroccan and Algerian governments work together to find a resolution to this issue and to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.
