Algeria: Shocking moment helicopter crashes into the sea
Two tourists on holiday in Morocco have reportedly been shot dead by the Algerian coastguard after their jet skis strayed into the waters of the neighbouring country, offering a grim illustration of the ongoing tensions between the two North African countries.
The pair were in a group of four French-Moroccan dual nationals who had set off from the Moroccan resort of Saidia.
The disturbing incident has triggered fury in Morocco itself, with a fisherman posting a video on TikTok of a lifeless body floating in the sea. The victim was identified online as Bilal Kissi et Abdelali Mechouer.
A second clip showed Morocco’s Royal Gendarmerie pulling the corpse of one of the victims out of the water.
Algeria and Morocco have been at loggerheads for decades, with the border between the two nations closed in 1994, and Algiers cutting diplomatic ties in 2021. Algeria accuses Morocco of hostile acts - a claim the country vehemently denies.
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Two tourists on jet skis have been shot dead by the Algerian coastguard (stock pic) (Image: GETTY)
Mohamed Kissi, brother of Bilal, was the only one of the group to make it back to Morocco.
He later told reporters of Tuesday’s double-tragedy: “We got lost but we kept going until we found ourselves in Algeria.
“We knew we were in Algeria because a black Algerian dinghy came towards us.”
They were they fired upon, Mr Kissi explained, adding: "Thank God I wasn't hit but they killed my brother and my friend.
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The border between Algeria and Morocco has been closed since 2021 (Image: GETTY)
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"They arrested my other friend. Five bullets hit my brother and my friend. My other friend was hit by a bullet."
Mr Kissi was eventually picked up by the Moroccan navy and returned to Saidia, he continued.
The other man who was killed has been named as Abdelali Merchouer.
The fourth man, named as Smail Snabe, was arrested by the Algerian coastguard and is understood to have appeared before an Algerian prosecutor on Wednesday.
Moroccan farmers protest in the border city of Figuig after being expelled by Algeria (Image: GETTY)
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A Moroccan government spokesman refused to comment describing the incident as "a matter for the judiciary".
Algeria has not commented either.
Algeria and Morocco’s dispute centres on Western Sahara, with the 1,242-mile border which the countries share a huge bone of contention.
The border was closed 29 years ago for security reasons after the bombing by Islamist militants of a hotel in Marrakesh.
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