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Gunmen Carry Out Fatal Attacks at Hotels in Ivory Coast Gunmen Carry Out Fatal Attacks at Hotels in Ivory Coast
(about 1 hour later)
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Gunmen stormed at least three resort hotels south of the capital here on Sunday in a fatal attack that pierced the calm that has prevailed in Ivory Coast in recent years. ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Gunmen stormed three resort hotels south of the capital here on Sunday afternoon in an attack that killed 16 people and pierced the calm that has prevailed in Ivory Coast in recent years.
The authorities in Grand Bassam, a popular getaway for Ivorians and foreigners alike, said that at least six people were dead in the attacks there but emphasized that figure was a preliminary tally and could change. Some reports said the death toll was far higher. The attacks took place in Grand Bassam, a popular getaway for Ivorians and foreigners alike, where 14 people as well as two soldiers were killed, according to a spokeswoman for the president. She added that six terrorists also died.
The nation’s interior minister appeared on television saying that six gunmen had been “neutralized” by members of the Ivorian Army who responded to the attacks. Members of the government appealed for calm. A Qaeda affiliate, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that three of its “knights” attacked the resort.
The attacks come at a time when Ivory Coast, after years of civil upheaval, has been trying to re-emerge as an economic powerhouse in the region. Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault of France said that “one of our fellow citizens was killed.” The United States Embassy in Ivory Coast said on its Twitter account that there was no evidence that American citizens had been targeted or harmed in the assault.
There were no apparent claims of responsibility for the hotel attacks. The attacks come at a time when Ivory Coast, after years of civil upheaval, has been trying to re-emerge as an economic powerhouse in the region. The government appealed for calm on Sunday evening.
The Grand Bassam area of Ivory Coast, with its 19th and 20th century colonial architecture, is on the list of Unesco World Heritage sites. The one-time French trading post “bears witness to the complex social relations between Europeans and Africans, and to the subsequent independence movement,” according to the Unesco website.The Grand Bassam area of Ivory Coast, with its 19th and 20th century colonial architecture, is on the list of Unesco World Heritage sites. The one-time French trading post “bears witness to the complex social relations between Europeans and Africans, and to the subsequent independence movement,” according to the Unesco website.
The United States Embassy in Ivory Coast said on its Twitter account that there was no evidence that American citizens had been targeted or harmed in the assault. In January, militants attacked a hotel and cafe in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, which were frequented by foreigners. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it was behind that attack. Last November, that group and another jihadist organization claimed responsibility for an assault on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, the capital of Mali.
In January, militants attacked a hotel and cafe in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, that were frequented by foreigners. The Al Qaeda affiliate in North Africa later claimed responsibility. Last November, jihadist organizations claimed responsibility for an assault on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, the capital of Mali.