Al-Qaeda attack on Ivory Coast resort: Death toll rises to 16

The death toll from an attack by gunmen on a beach resort located in the Grand Bassam region of Ivory Coast has risen to 16 local authorities say.

At least 14 civilians and two policemen where killed as Al-Qaeda-linked militants opened fire on beach-goers at the resort which is about 40km (25 miles) from the commercial capital Abidjan.

Officials say four of the dead at the resort which is popular with both foreign and locals were Westerners including a French and a German national.

Read also: Attack on Ivory Coast hotel leaves 5 dead

According to officials, the attack was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) though the gunmen have been “neutralised”.
Ivory Coast was once one of the most stable countries in West Africa until a civil war broke out in 2002 pitting the mainly Muslim north against the largely Christian south.

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