Cote d’Ivoire’s police and forensic investigators are examining the scene of the Grand Bassam beach attack that killed 16 people, including two Ivorian special forces soldiers.
Its the latest in a string of deadly attacks across West Africa, the first for Cote D’Ivoire, raising fears that instability in the region is spreading.
The Six gunmen, targeted hotels on a beach at Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with westerners about 40 km east of the commercial capital Abidjan. They shot indiscriminately.
They managed to kill 16 people, before being killed in clashes with Ivorian special forces.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb AQIM, which has carried out other recent attacks in the region, claimed responsibility for Sunday’s shootings, according to the U.S.-based site intelligence monitoring group, citing an AQIM statement.
Though previously untouched by Islamist violence, Cote’ D’Ivoire, French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy and the world’s top cocoa producer, has long been considered a target for militants. It has been on high alert since last month’s Ouagadougou attacks.
