Al Qaeda in North Africa posted a statement on social media calling on all countries participating in France's military campaign in Mali to withdraw their troops.

Al Qaeda's North African branch said the attack it carried out on a coastal resort in Côte d'Ivoire on March 13 that killed 18 people was in retaliation for France's military campaign in Africa's Sahel region.

Al Qaeda in North Africa posted a statement on social media calling on all countries participating in France's military campaign in Mali to withdraw their troops.

On March 15, the French Foreign Minister and Interior Minister traveled to Côte d'Ivoire to reassure and support the French community in Côte d'Ivoire and to intensify the investigation into the beach attack in Grand Bassam in which four French citizens were killed.

Al Qaeda's North African branch claimed responsibility for the attack on a seaside resort in Côte d'Ivoire (photo: KT)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve met with Côte d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara and visited the scene of the attack as well as met representatives of the French community.

France will set up a gendarmerie post in the capital of Burkina Faso to react quickly in case of attacks by extremist militants in West Africa, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

The March 13 attack was the first by Al Qaeda in Côte d'Ivoire but the third major attack by militants in the West African region since January 2015.

In 2013, France launched a campaign called Serval to expel extremist Islamic rebels from northern Mali and in 2014, launched a campaign called Barkhane to destroy rebels throughout the Serval region of Africa./.

According to VOV