Tourists from Morocco were fatally shot after accidentally crossing into Algerian waters.

 

Two individuals have reportedly lost their lives after inadvertently crossing Morocco's maritime border into Algeria on jet skis.

According to Moroccan media reports, two French-Moroccan men were tragically shot and killed after accidentally crossing the maritime border between Morocco and Algeria on water scooters. This unfortunate incident occurred on Tuesday when a group of five men lost their way while exploring the sea on jet skis. France has since confirmed on Friday that one of its citizens was among those killed.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the death of one of its citizens without specifying the circumstances, while mentioning that another citizen has been detained in "an incident involving several of our nationals."

According to Mohamed Kissi, who spoke to the Moroccan news website 360.ma, he, his brother Bilal, and two friends were vacationing and riding water scooters off the coast of the Moroccan town of Saidia as dusk approached.

Kissi recounted, "We were running low on gas for the water scooters and ended up adrift. In the darkness, we unintentionally entered Algerian waters."

The group was approached by a speedboat bearing the word "Algeria" on its side, carrying naval forces. Following a brief exchange, Kissi stated that Algerian forces opened fire on them, resulting in the tragic deaths of his brother Bilal and their friend Abdelali Mechouer. Another friend, Smail Snabe, was wounded and taken into custody by Algerian forces.

Mohamed Kissi, the French-Moroccan, managed to swim to safety and was eventually rescued by Moroccan maritime police.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that its "crisis support center and our embassies in Morocco and Algeria are closely liaising with the families of our fellow citizens, providing them with comprehensive assistance and support."

A cousin of the Kissi brothers, actor Abdelkarim Kissi, has called upon Moroccan authorities to take the case to international courts.

Abdelkarim Kissi expressed his grief on social media, writing, "They killed Bilal Kissi, my little cousin. His only wrongdoing was crossing Algerian territorial waters."

As reported by 360.ma, a funeral for Bilal Kissi was held on Thursday in the Moroccan town of Bni Drar. The same source mentioned that Mechouer's family is seeking the repatriation of his body, which was recovered by Algerian forces.

Regarding the incident, Moroccan government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas, when asked on Thursday, stated that "these issues fall under the jurisdiction of the judicial authority" and did not provide additional comments.

It's worth noting that the border between Algeria and Morocco has remained closed since 1994, and diplomatic relations between the two nations were severed by Algiers in 2021.