At least 16 people are reported dead following an attack upon the resort city of Grand-Bassam in the Ivory Coast. According to CNN, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Approximately 6 gunmen stormed three hotels in the city, before being killed by security forces. This is the most recent in a string of AQIM attacks on hotels popular with Westerners – with previous attacks occurring in Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which border the Ivory Coast. This attack is being seen as evidence of the growing reach of Islamist groups within West Africa.
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