Algeria’s Tragic Jet Skier Incident
While Algeria and Morocco have a history of complex relations, culminating in the former’s decision to sever diplomatic ties in 2021, the killing of two Moroccan-French nationals off the coast of Algeria is expected to further strain Algiers’ relationship with Rabat.
Algeria broke its silence regarding the killing of the two jet skiers that took place on August 29.
On September 3, the Algerian defense ministry issued a statement explaining that the victims, who were on four jet skis, had ignored warnings from coastal guards to stop, leading the guards to open fire on the jet skis with live ammunition, report a number of big media outlets.
The ministry stated that the area where the shooting occurred is a “known route for drug trafficking and organized crime groups.”
This official account sharply contrasts with the testimony of one survivor, Mohamed Kissi, who said in a video posted on YouTube that they received no audible warnings.
According to him, a zodiac boat carrying coast guards approached them and apprehended one of his friends, while two others were shot dead from a distance.
In response to the incident, the public prosecutor in Oujda, Morocco, initiated an investigation on August 29, the country’s Press Agency announced.
READ: Two men on jet skis shot dead as they cross Algerian border
