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Rabat – In a shocking incident that has triggered nationwide outrage, Algerian coast guards opened fire on young Moroccan men who were enjoying a day on their jet skis at Saidia beach, before being swept away by the currents and getting lost in Algerian waters.
The attack resulted in the deaths of Moroccan-French men Bilal Kessi and Abdelali Mashwir, while a survivor, Ismail Snabi, who is also Franco-Moroccan, was apprehended by Algerian authorities, according to Moroccan news outlet Le360, quoting a “reliable source.”
The incident, which took place on Tuesday, has sparked widespread outrage among Moroccans, especially after a video showing one of the victims’ lifeless body floating in the sea circulated online.
The video was shot by a Moroccan fisherman who discovered the lifeless body of the young man off the coast of Saidia Gulf.
According to the families of the victims, the body of Bilal Kessi was found near the shores of Saidia, while the body of the second victim, Abdelali Mashwir, remains stranded on the Algerian coastline near the border point of Borsai, a municipality in the city of Tlemcen.
Meanwhile, the only survivor, Ismail Snabi, appeared before the Algerian public prosecutor’s office on Wednesday and was subsequently placed in custody for seven days at a police station in Borsai.
All three individuals targeted in the incident held both Moroccan and French nationalities, and the French consular authorities have been informed of the tragedy, according to the victims’ families.
The maritime branch of the Royal Gendarmerie in Saidia, in coordination with local authorities, has opened an investigation into the case.
During his weekly press conference today, the Moroccan government’s spokesperson Mustapha Baitas was asked about the actions that the government will take in response to the actions committed by Algerian authorities.
In response, Baitas said that the case “falls under the jurisdiction of the judicial authority.”
Read also: Algeria’s Navy Shoots Moroccan Migrant Dead
Saidia Beach is separated from Algeria by a small pier approximately 50 meters in length, serving as the unofficial border between the two neighboring countries.
Algerian swimmers would often cross this point into Moroccan waters without encountering gunfire from Moroccan border guards, many Moroccan social media users noted.
Even when Algerian swimmers ventured onto Saidia Beach, Moroccan coastal guards typically resorted to firing warning shots into the air to ensure their return to Algerian territory.
The tragic incident has thus raised questions about the different approaches that Moroccan and Algerian authorities use to handle such situations.
Algeria has now been marred by the actions of border guards who resorted to lethal force against civilians engaged in water sports.
The incident is expected to further complicate the already strained relations between Algeria and Morocco.
