Six gunmen who carried out a deadly attack Sunday on three hotels in the Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand-Bassam have been "neutralised," the country's interior minister said.

"Three hotels were attacked by armed men" in the former colonial capital which is popular with Ivorians and Westerners, Hamed Bakayoko said in a statement read on national television.

"Ivorian security forces intervened immediately and were able to neutralise six terrorists," he said.