An accidental tourist - Egypt's military kills Mexican nationals

The Egyptian military mistakenly attacked a convoy of vehicles transporting tourists in the western desert near the popular Bahariya oasis on 13 September. The assault killed 12 people, including 7 Mexican nationals. A further ten people were wounded, including a dual US/Mexican national.
The Egyptian government was quick to admit that it had conducted the attack and described it as an accident. The Egyptian authorities stated that a military force in the area was pursuing militants when they came across the convoy, misidentified it as a militant band and fired upon it.
The Egyptian government has also stated that the tourists were operating in a restricted military zone. The official position has been disputed by the tour operator who has claimed that not only did they have the requisite police permit to operate in the area but they also had a police escort.
The incident serves to underscore the elevated risk of operating in Egypt's western desert area. The region has been affected by a number of mass casualty attacks since 2014. On the 19^th of July 2014, assailants attacked the El-Farafrah border security post in the New Valley governorate, killing 22 people and wounding four others. The attack was claimed by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis. On the 31^st of May 2014, six soldiers were killed by gunmen in the 'al-Wahat' area. Since these attacks the military has been on a heightened state of alert in the western desert of the country.
Despite these incidents and the increasing risk, tourists have continued to visit the area. The local police have acted to guide local tour groups and provide some security but the risk has not been fully mitigated. Indeed, the ability of the government to safeguard tourists will continue to be undermined due to the ongoing instability in Libya and the growing insecurity in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Nile-centred towns.
The recent accident will also serve to further erode confidence in the ability of the authorities to safeguard tourists. The incident is a major embarrassment for the government which is seeking to eliminate militants in the country and present a façade to its domestic and international audience that it is in control and that Egypt is a safe place to visit.