Early Thursday morning, explosions and sustained gunfire erupted at Niamey’s international airport and its adjacent military airbase, witnesses in Niger’s capital said.
The blasts began around 6:00 a.m. local time, 0500 GMT, and sporadic shooting continued for nearly two hours, according to a Reuters witness on the scene. Security forces quickly cordoned off the area.
A security source described the incident as an apparent attack on the facility, though no group had claimed responsibility as of Thursday morning. Niger’s government spokesperson did not immediately comment.
The attack recalls a similar assault in January, when the Islamic State’s Sahel affiliate said it targeted the airport’s air command headquarters and drone assets. Niger’s Defence Ministry said at the time that militants on motorcycles were repelled, with four soldiers wounded. The January attack also destroyed an ammunition cache and damaged several civilian planes.
Niger, along with neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, continues to face escalating violence from jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. The insurgencies have killed thousands and displaced millions across the region.
Following the January attack, military ruler Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani accused France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of involvement without providing evidence, and pledged retaliation.
