Djanet Algeria: Female tourist has throat cut while sitting on cafe terrace in brutal murder while visiting with tour group; police arrest two men

Switzerland's Department of Foreign Affairs told The Associated Press on Tuesday (22 October) that it had been in contact with Algerian authorities about the “violent death” of an unnamed Swiss citizen on 11 October. The woman was part of a tour group of five Swiss travellers.

The death was the first killing of a foreigner in Algeria in several years. The tourist was horrifically attacked with a knife as she sat on the terrace of the Skaner cafe, located in the city centre and next to the Onat, the tourist office of Djanet.

Her throat was slit by a man armed with a bladed weapon, according to local Algerian media, and was quickly dashed to a local hospital where she lost a lot of blood. Doctors were unable to save the severely injured woman, and she died in the hospital.

Two men were reportedly arrested, and were from the north of the country, according to Liberation.fr. They had arrived in Djanet six months ago and were dressed as 'Tuaregs' -  a nomadic ethnic group of people who live in the Sahara and surrounding areas.

Switzerland's Department of Foreign Affairs explained that it had taken charge of the group of four people who were with her, since evacuated to Switzerland, while adding that “no further information will be given”. Few tourists visit Algeria as the country requires nearly all foreign visitors to obtain visas to enter.

However, the country has in recent years enacted policies designed to lure visitors, streamlining the visa process specifically for tour groups interested in visiting. The country is popular to visit as it boasts rippling sands and rock formations of the Sahara, including the town of Djanet, a gateway to the Tassili n’Ajjer National Park.