On March 13, 2016, three armed attackers opened fire along the beachfront before storming several hotels and restaurants, shooting at people relaxing on the sand.
The assault left 19 people dead, including foreign nationals and Ivorians. Among the victims were citizens of Nigeria, France, Germany, North Macedonia, and Lebanon.
The attack was later claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which said it was retaliation for military operations carried out in the Sahel region by France and its allies.
Authorities arrested at least fifteen suspects during the investigation into what was the first jihadist attack in Ivory Coast.
The assault was the third extremist attack in West Africa within four months at the time and dealt a blow to Ivory Coast’s efforts to revive tourism after years of political instability and civil war.
