In a tragic incident, two Moroccan tourists were shot dead and another was arrested by Algerian authorities after accidentally entering Algerian waters while jet-skiing off the coast of Morocco. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when the group of five tourists, including survivor Mohamed Kissi, lost their way and found themselves in Algerian territory. Kissi recounted the terrifying encounter, stating that a black Algerian dinghy approached them and opened fire, resulting in the death of his brother, Bilal, and their friend, Abdelali Mechouar. Kissi alleged that the authorities continued to fire at them even after realizing they were unarmed.

Kissi denied the claim that they were attempting to escape and insisted that the shooting occurred despite their compliance with the authorities and a brief conversation with his brother. He further shared that he was forced to swim back towards Morocco and was eventually rescued by the navy. The status of the other survivor who was not arrested remains unknown.

The incident sparked outrage in Morocco after a video of Bilal's body floating in the water was posted by a fisherman. His remains were later retrieved and buried in Oujda. Mechouar's father, Mustafa, made a plea to the Moroccan and Algerian authorities to reach an agreement to repatriate his son's remains for a proper funeral and burial.

The border between Algeria and Morocco has been closed since 1994, with tensions between the two countries exacerbated by a dispute over the Western Sahara region. In 2021, Algeria severed diplomatic relations, accusing Morocco of hostile activity. The Algerian coast guard and foreign ministry have not yet addressed the reports.

The tourists involved in the incident, including Kissi, his brother, and Snabe, hold dual Moroccan and French citizenship. France's Foreign Ministry confirmed that a French national was killed in the incident and stated that they were in contact with the families and Moroccan authorities.

The Algerian coast guard has not responded to requests for comment, and the Moroccan government spokesperson declined to comment, citing the case as a judicial matter. The incident highlights the tragic consequences of the closed border and strained relations between Algeria and Morocco.