Egyptian Military Hits Tourists with Airstrikes

The Egyptian military shot and killed a dozen people, most of them Mexican tourists, as it becomes increasingly clear the military dictatorship of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is unable to control the insurgency coursing through the country.

The Egyptian air force was behind the attack, targeting a convoy in the country's western desert region with planes and helicopter gunships, according to Reuters. Eight Mexicans and four Egyptians were killed while another eight Mexicans and two Egyptians sustained injuries of various degrees. The survivors said that they were also shot at by Egyptian ground forces as they tried to escape the bombardment.

The victims were part of a group of 22 that was exploring the desert on 4x4 off-road vehicles and had stopped at an oasis known as Bahariya for a barbeque when the Egyptian military came from seemingly out of nowhere and began to assault the group.

The government of Mexico demanded a speedy and intensive investigation and said that the Egyptian prime minister personally promised Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto he would complete the inquiry.

The Egyptians say it was a mistake as the military was pursuing a group of insurgents affiliated with the Islamic State through the same area, but a relative of one of the survivor said they were parked and eating at the time of the incident.

The insurgency has wrested control of parts of Egypt from the state, even in some populated areas. Over the summer, the government had to wage a days-long battle using its air force and ground troops to regain control of a town near the border with Palestine.

The insurgency has killed hundreds of police and soldiers, and the same day as the attack, the IS affiliate claimed that it had defeated an assault by the Egyptian military.