Two Americans Among Victims of Accidental Shooting in Egypt

CAIRO (AP) — A hospital spokeswoman says two Mexicans who were wounded when Egyptian forces mistakenly fired upon tourists on a desert safari are dual American citizens.

Twelve people were killed in the incident, including two Mexican citizens, and a total of 10 people were wounded.

Mona el-Bakri, the spokeswoman for the Dar al-Fouad hospital where the wounded were being treated, says two of the seven Mexicans receiving treatment also hold American citizenship.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Shott said officials are looking into whether an American citizen was involved in the incident.

A joint military-police force was pursuing "terrorist elements" in the area and fired on four cars that turned out to be carrying tourists, according to Egypt's Interior Ministry. The ministry said the victims were Egyptian and Mexican.

Egyptian officials claim the safari convoy had wandered into a restricted area of the western desert. The tour company involved "did not have permits and did not inform authorities," Rasha Azazi, a spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, told The Associated Press, adding that any trips to that area are required to be cleared by officials.

"They were not supposed to be there," she said, but could not provide further information on the circumstances of the shooting.

Egypt's western desert is popular among safari enthusiasts, but has not been known as a hotbed of militant or insurgent activity. Police and military there have primarily been concerned with combating smuggling along Egypt's large and porous border with Libya.