Mexico's foreign minister; Claudia Ruiz Massieu has called for a thorough investigation into the incident which led to the death of eight Mexican tourists mistaken for militants by the Egyptian army.

Claudia Ruiz Massieu visited the six survivors of an Egyptian army attack in a hospital in Cairo, and said they were doing well.

The unclear circumstances surrounding the attack made the foreign minister call for a thorough investigation into the incident, which happened on Sunday in Egypt's western desert.

The exact circumstances of the attack remain unclear.

An Egyptian prosecutor has issued an order banning journalists from reporting details of the investigation now taking place.

Egypt says its forces had been pursuing Islamic militants in the Western Desert and mistook the Mexican tourists for the militants.

It has apologised, but has insisted the group were in a restricted area. Local sources deny the claim.

Egypt has been battling Islamist militants for years, with attacks escalating since the 2013 ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Until recently, most of the fighting has taken place in the Sinai Peninsula with occasional attacks taking place in Cairo and other cities.