Cote d'Ivoire tightens security after deadly terror attack

Cote d'Ivoire has reinforced security after Sunday's deadly attack at the seaside resort of Grand-Bassam that killed at least 18 people, Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said Tuesday.

Speaking on national radio, Bakayoko said the government had placed the whole country on red alert.

"Mop up operations will continue to ensure there is no terrorist risk in Grand Bassam region. Security will be reinforced around strategic sites like schools, embassies and large markets," the minister added.

One French national was among those dead in the attack in the former French colony.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve arrived in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire's commercial capital, on Tuesday.

They promised French support to Cote d'Ivoire in the fight against terrorism.

Cote d'Ivoire's government on Monday declared a three-day national mourning in memory of Sunday's terror victims.

Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack. It is also behind a hotel raid in Mail's capital Bamako in November last year, which left 20 people dead, among them 14 foreigners.

Addressing the nation on Monday, Cote d'Ivoire's President Alassane Ouattara urged sub-regional countries to coordinate their efforts to defeat terrorism.

Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO world heritage site some 30 km southeast of Abidjan, is popular with both locals and foreigners. Endit