Ivory Coast shooting: At least 16 feared dead after gunmen open fire at beach resort

Jamie Bullen14 March 2016

At least 16 people are feared dead after six gunmen stormed a beach resort in the Ivory Coast.

French media reported men armed with guns opened fire at a hotel popular with Western tourists in the Grand-Bassam resort, about 40km east of the capital Abidjan.

Some reports said the gunmen had entered the Hotel Etoile Du Sud and took guests and staff hostage while eyewitnesses were quoted as saying the shooting began in a hotel.

Shooting: Security forces drive towards Grand-Bassam in Ivory Coast
Reuters

The country's President Alassane Ouattara said: “Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon. We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed."

Pictures from the scene show bloodied bodies on the beach.

Earlier reports indicated that four Europeans were among the dead.

A video, reportedly shot at the scene, shows people running from the beach near a hotel.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the US based SITE intelligence monitoring group.

The beach near where the shooting broke out has been evacuated as special forces were deployed to the scene.

The shooting comes nearly two months after Islamist extremists killed dozens of people in a hotel and café in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

The Ivory Coast Government said security forces had "neutralised" six armed men after the attacks.

The travel advice for Ivory Coast on the Foreign Office website warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of the country.

It says: "There is a high threat from terrorism. You should be vigilant after recent attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners."

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