Grand-Bassam : Four gunmen armed with machine guns and hand grenades went on the rampage at a popular hotel in Ivory Coast, leaving at least 12 people dead. It is unclear who is behind the attack but photographs have emerged of bodies lying on the beach in the resort town of Grand-Bassam, around 25 miles from Abidjan. Video footage, filmed from a balcony at the hotel, has been posted online showing the moment people ran for their lives as the gunmen opened fire.
Unconfirmed reports have emerged that several French nationals may have been killed in the deadly attack, with witnesses describing how the gunmen arrived on the beach via a boat.
One witness, who lives across from one of the town’s many beachfront hotels, said she ran outside when she heard the gunfire and saw people running away from the beach. She said residents were hiding in their homes as security forces responded.
The assailants, who were “heavily armed and wearing balaclavas, fired at guests at a large hotel which was full of expats in the current heat wave,” another witness told AFP.
Attacks in recent months on luxury hotels in the capitals of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have left dozens of people dead, leaving West African nations scrambling to boost security in the face of a growing jihadist threat.
Analysts have voiced fears that Islamist attacks could spread to countries such as Ivory Coast and Senegal.