16 Killed as Terrorist attack Grand Bassam resort in Ivory Coast

Six gunmen reportedly attacked the Grand Bassam beach resort on Sunday, March 13, killing about 16 people.
Sources reveal that the terrorists opened fired on tourists at the resort, which is visited by both foreigners and locals. According to Reuters, the dead include 14 civilians and two soldiers while the assailants were also killed.
The ugly incident comes nearly two months after Islamist fighters killed dozens of people in a hotel and cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou.
This latest attack has raised concern that the reach of militancy in West Africa is spreading. The Ivory Coast President, Alassane Ouattara, confirmed the casualty number during a visit to the scene of the incident. He said: “Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon … We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed.”
Ouattara added that the six attackers were also killed in gun battle with security operatives. BBC reports that the Interior Minister, Hamed Bakayoko, said the gunmen had been “neutralised”.
A witness of Sunday’s attack said: “heavily armed men wearing balaclavas” had opened fire near the L’Etoile du Sud hotel, which was full of expats.” Another eyewitness, Souleymane Kamagate, said he saw people running from the beach and fleeing in different directions.
Africa has experienced several attacks of this nature in recent times. Asides from luxury hotels which were targeted by terrorists in Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January; about 39 people were killed in an attack on a tourist hotel in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse.