Moroccan tourists who entered Algerian territorial waters with jet skis die

Two of the four tourists with dual French-Moroccan nationality who set out on a jet ski from the tourist resort of Saidia in Morocco, known for its beaches and water sports, were shot dead by the Algerian Coast Guard.

Mohamed Kissi, who made it back to Saidia from the group, said they got lost and ran out of fuel.

“WE DID NOT KNOW WE WERE IN ALGERIA”

According to Euronews Turkish, Kissi, whose brother was also killed in the incident, said: “We knew we were in Algeria because a black Algerian ship approached us and the people on the ship shot at us. “They didn’t shoot me, but they killed my brother and my friend,” she said.

One of the tourists, Smail Snabe, was reportedly arrested by the Algerian coast guard and gave a statement to a prosecutor on Wednesday.

Algeria did not make any statement in this regard.

MOROCCO-ALGERIA TENSION

The two countries share a border that is about 2,000 kilometers long. There has been tension between the two countries since they gained their independence from French colonial rule.

The borders between the countries were closed in 1994 after the attack on a hotel in the historic Moroccan city of Marrakech.

Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in August 2021, accusing Rabat of “hostile acts”. The Moroccan government, for its part, denied the accusations.