Tragic Incident: Two Jet-Ski Tourists Killed by Algerian Coastguard in Morocco

May 2024 · 2 minute read

Algerian coastguard shot and killed two jet-ski tourists who had crossed their maritime border while vacationing in Morocco.

The victims, Bilal Kissi and Abdelali Merchouer, both of French-Moroccan nationality, were fired upon after mistakenly navigating into Algerian waters from the beach resort of Saidia in northeastern Morocco, according to the Le360 news website, citing an eyewitness account.

Another member of the group, Smail Snabe, also a French-Moroccan national, was apprehended by the Algerian coastguard and presented before a prosecutor on Wednesday, as reported by Le360.

Reports from Moroccan media on Thursday, August 31, indicated that the group, comprising four men, was riding jet skis in the Mediterranean.

Mohamed Kissi, the brother of one of the deceased, stated to the Moroccan website Al Omk, “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 and those on board fired at us. Thank God I wasn’t hit, but they killed my brother and my friend. They arrested my other friend.”

He continued, “Five bullets hit my brother and my friend. My other friend was hit by a bullet. We got lost and we were out of fuel. I was picked up by the Moroccan navy who took me back to the Saidia marina.”

Abdelkarim Kissi, the cousin of one of the victims and an actor, urged Moroccan authorities to bring the case before international courts. He wrote on social media, “They killed Bilal Kissi, my little cousin. His only fault was crossing the Algerian territorial waters; he was on vacation with his friends.”


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