Ivory Coast is holding remembrance session for 19 people killed in Grand Bassam through jihadist attack.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it carried out the attack, the first of its kind in the country.

According to Ceoafrica, the authorities say they subsequently arrested 38 people in connection with the attack which has had a devastating impact on Grand Bassam, one of Ivory Coast's main holiday destinations.

However, hotel owners say they are struggling to stay in business, and people who make arts and crafts say they have hardly any clients any more. 

In 2016, Gunmen from al-Qaeda’s North African branch killed 16 people, including four Europeans, after they opened fire near several hotels in the Ivory Coast. The shooting came amid fears the jihadi threat is spreading in West Africa.

The government said security forces had killed the six assailants who launched attacks on three hotels in the popular seaside town of Grand-Bassam, a weekend retreat for residents of Abidjan, about 25 miles (40km) away.

Among the 16 dead were two soldiers, said the president, Alassane Ouattara. Local media reported

It was also reported that gunmen entered the L’Etoile du Sud (the Southern Star) hotel, seizing guests and staff. A French foreign ministry spokesperson said one French national had been killed. A jihad monitoring group said al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb had claimed the attack.