Gunmen attack 3 Ivory Coast hotels,al Qaeda, affiliate claims responsibility

Gunmen attack 3 Ivory Coast hotels,al Qaeda, affiliate claims responsibility

Gunmen killed 16 people Sunday when they stormed into three hotels in the beach resort city of Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast, officials said

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement posted on a social media account tied to the group

The death toll included 14 civilians and two soldiers, President Alassane Ouattara said as he visited the site of the attacks. Six attackers also died, he said

about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the country's largest city, Abidjan -- appeared to show people fleeing from a hotel during the attack

French President Francois Hollande condemned what he called a "cowardly attack" and pledged French support to find out who was responsible for the attack

At least one French citizen was killed, he said

The U.S. Embassy in Abidjan reported that it had no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted or harmed

The French Embassy said it had set up a crisis unit and asked people to limit travel in the area and stay clear of security forces. The British Foreign Office had similar advice

Al Qaeda offshoot was behind other hotel attacks

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has targeted hotels in West Africa before

In the past year, the group claimed credit for hotel attacks in two countries bordering Ivory Coast -- Mali and Burkina Faso

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al Qaeda's North African offshoot known as AQIM, has its roots in Algeria

After a downturn in its activities, the al Qaeda affiliate has been stepping up attacks

AQIM has escalated its operations in West Africa, specifically targeting Europeans, as well as other foreigners, in hotels and resorts," the SITE Intelligence Group said in a statement analyzing the attack Sunday

But targeting Westerners isn't the only goal, according to SITE, which tracks jihadist groups