Assailants open fire at Ivory Coast beach resort
At least 16 people reportedly dead after attack claimed by militants linked to Al Qaeda
ABIDJAN, CÔTE D’IVOIRE— Militants linked to Al Qaeda said they led an attack that killed at least 16 people at the beach and hotels in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast, the third assault on a West African hotel since November.
Al Qaeda in the Maghreb and al-Mourabitoun claimed responsibility, Mauritanian newspaper al-Akhbar said, citing sources close to the Islamist fighters. The groups use the paper to publish claims of responsibility. At least 14 civilians and two soldiers were killed, Agence-France Presse reported, citing President Alassane Ouattara. At least six militants were killed, the government said in an emailed statement.
Officials did not say immediately how many were killed. Security forces responded as the area evacuated and residents hid in their homes.
The bursts of gunfire were heard in the southeastern Ivory Coast beach town about 40 kilometres east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s commercial cen- tre, said a witness, in what is the third major attack on a tourism centre in a West African country since November.
Shots rang out in Grand-Bassam, a popular weekend destination for Ivorians and foreigners, said 25year-old Josiane Sekongo, who lives across from one of the town’s many beachfront hotels. People ran from the beach amid the gunfire, she said.
Security forces responded as residents hid in their homes, she said.
A receptionist at the Étoile de Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam said the attacks happened on the beach.
“We don’t know where they came from, and we don’t know where they’ve gone,” he said of the gunmen. Everyone in the hotel was safe, and gendarmerie were present, he said. He would not give his name.
An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday but the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation in Grand-Bassam and it has no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted, nor confirmed reports of any U.S citizens harmed.
It was unclear how many assailants were involved. Casualty information was not immediately available.
The historic town of Grand-Bas- sam is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Attacks by extremists on hotels frequented by foreigners in two other West African countries, Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January, killed dozens of people and indicated that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa.
“I have always said that Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Dakar (Senegal) are the next targets for jihadist groups because these two countries represent windows of France in Africa,” said Lemine Ould M. Salem, an expert on Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. He said the attackers could be from Moktar Belmoktar’s al-Mourabitoun, but that Boko Haram should not be ruled out.
The Nigeria-based Boko Haram pledged to Daesh last year.