West Africa’s al Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, or JNIM, said Thursday it was behind a deadly raid on Niamey’s airport and adjacent military airbase.
Niger’s government confirmed 13 people died in the assault — 11 security personnel and two civilians. Officials added that troops killed 22 attackers, arrested roughly 20 suspects, and seized weapons. The attack began around 6:00 a.m. local time and continued for more than two hours, according to witnesses.
The strike marks the second time this year that Niamey’s airport complex has been hit. In January, the Islamic State’s Sahel branch, ISSP, targeted the same site.
JNIM announced responsibility through its media outlet, the Az-Zallaqa Foundation. The group has also stepped up operations in Mali and Burkina Faso. In April it carried out coordinated attacks across Mali, including on Bamako’s airport, where Mali’s defense minister was killed and several military bases were overrun.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso continue to face escalating violence from jihadist groups. Analysts say the latest attack reflects intensifying competition between JNIM and ISSP, rivals that first clashed in 2019. Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project shows their fighting has caused over 2,100 deaths in the region.
By midday Thursday, Niamey appeared largely calm. A Reuters witness and two residents reported sporadic gunfire as security forces cordoned off the area. “Everything is under control,” the government said in a televised statement. Niger’s civil aviation authority later confirmed flights had resumed.
The full extent of damage to military equipment at the base remains unclear. In its January claim, ISSP said it hit drone assets and air command facilities.
The airport attack came a day after separate militant raids on army bases in Banibangou and Inates in Niger’s western Tillaberi region. Security sources said 10 soldiers died and more than 40 were wounded in Banibangou, and that troops withdrew from Inates. It is not yet known if those assaults are connected to the Niamey operation.
