Several people are feared dead after at least four heavily armed gunmen attacked a beach resort in the Ivory Coast.
At least twelve people are reported dead, including Europeans, near the Hotel Etoile du Sud, in the coastal city of Grand-Bassam, which is popular with Western tourists.
The government has said that six of the attackers have been 'neutralised.'
A death toll will be announced soon, according to State Minister Hamed Bakayoko.
In a now-deleted post on social media, the Ivory Coast government confirmed there were at least 11 casualties, including a five-year-old child.
Witnesses reported hearing the gunmen shout "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) as they opened fire.
There are varying reports of both the number feared dead and the number of attackers.
A government spokesperson told Bloomberg at least five attackers had been killed and another five were on the run.
The shooting started at the Hotel Etoile Du Sud's Koral Beach and continued in nearby establishments, according to the website Ivorian Connection.
Local media had reported the gunmen had entered the hotel and took guests and staff hostage.
However, a receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel told Associated Press that everyone in the hotel was safe, and gendarmerie were present.
"We don't know where they [the gunmen] came from, and we don't know where they've gone," he said.
Images of the attack on social media show bodies on the beach.
The beach and surrounding area has now been evacuated by the army.
An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday but the U.S. Embassy said it has no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted or hurt.
Grand-Bassam is a Unesco world heritage site and is around 40km (25 miles) east of the country's economic capital, Abidjan.
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