The Latest: Egypt imposes gag order on attack on Mexicans

The latest developments after Egyptian troops mistakenly opened fire on a group of Mexican tourists on a safari in the country’s western desert, killing eight Mexicans and wounding six. All times are local, Cairo time:

___

7:00 p.m.

The office of Egypt’s top prosecutor has issued a gag order on the investigation into the deadly attack this week in which Egyptian forces mistakenly killed eight Mexican tourists on a desert safari.

A statement from the prosecutor’s office released on Wednesday evening says the ban applies to all media — print, radio, online, and television, both domestic and international.

It says the order will remain in effect until the investigation by the Egyptian authorities into the incident is concluded.

It also says the ban does not include statements from the top prosecutor’s office.

___

5:30 p.m.

Mexico’s foreign minister says her country is demanding a full investigation by the Egyptian authorities into the “tragic and unprecedented events” surrounding the attack by Egyptian forces earlier this week that mistakenly killed eight Mexican tourists on a desert safari.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Claudia Ruiz Massieu says she came to Cairo to be by the bedside of the six Mexican tourists who were wounded in Sunday’s incident and who are being treated in a Cairo hospital.

She says she is in the Egyptian capital with their families “to be at the side of the Mexican injured victims” but that she is also holding meetings “at the highest level” to express “the importance for Mexico and its people to have a thorough and comprehensive, prompt and transparent investigation that would allow us to know what actually happened last Sunday” and determine responsibility for the tragic incident.

Rius Massieu spoke at a press conference Wednesday with her Egyptian counterpart.

She says she will bring the injured home to Mexico and expressed her condolences to the Egyptian people, who also lost several citizens in the attack.

She says the investigation “will allow us to ensure that appropriate consideration and implementation of the findings.”

___

5:05 p.m.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry says the killing of eight Mexican tourists, mistakenly slain by Egyptian forces while on a desert safari earlier this week, was a “regrettable” incident.

Shoukry, who spoke during a press conference Monday with his visiting Mexican counterpart, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, stopped short of an apology for the attack, which also wounded six Mexican tourists.

Egypt’s top diplomat expressed his “regret for the unfortunate circumstances surrounding” Riuz Massieu’s visit and reiterated the Egyptian government’s “deepest sympathy, regret and condolences to the government and people of Mexico.”

Shoukry would not provide details of the events that lead to the death of the Mexicans, only saying it would have to wait for the full details of the investigation.

___

12:01 p.m.

Mexico’s foreign minister has visited wounded Mexicans in a hospital in Cairo after what she said was an “unprecedented incident” involving Mexican tourists in Egypt.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Claudia Ruiz Massieu told reporters she is “happy ... that they are stable ... they are increasingly better.”

She also says the wounded were happy to see their families who arrived in Egypt with Ruiz Massieu, while other relatives are arriving later on Wednesday night.

The foreign minister says everyone in Mexico is “very concerned” and “very indignant about the incident.” She spoke outside Dar al-Fouad where the recovering Mexicans are being treated.

Massieu says she will meet President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi later Wednesday.

___

10:45 a.m.

Mexico’s foreign minister has arrived in Egypt after Egyptian security forces mistakenly killed at least eight Mexican tourists on a desert safari.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Claudia Ruiz Massieu touched down in Cairo early Wednesday morning, accompanied by several family members of the victims, according to a statement from the Mexican Foreign Ministry.

Massieu will visit survivors of the incident and also meet with Egyptian officials, “to obtain first-hand information that would clarify the circumstances of this deplorable event,” the statement said

Egyptian officials initially claimed the convoy of SUVs had wandered into an off-limits area of Egypt’s western desert. But in an open letter to the Mexican people, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the facts of the case remain “confusing” and promised a thorough and impartial investigation.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.