Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on the airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey, according to a statement cited on Friday by SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activity worldwide.
The attack began late on Wednesday near Diori Hamani International Airport, with residents reporting heavy gunfire and loud explosions before calm returned early Thursday.
In its statement, the Islamic State affiliate operating in the region described the assault as a “surprise and coordinated attack” that caused “significant damage,” though it provided no further details.
Niger’s Defence Ministry said the attackers arrived on motorcycles and were quickly repelled by security forces. Four soldiers were wounded in the fighting, the ministry said, adding that material losses included damage to several civilian aircraft and a stockpile of ammunition that caught fire.
Reuters could not independently verify casualty figures. Niger’s authorities said 20 attackers were killed and 11 wounded, while Islamic State gave no toll.
Niger’s military ruler, Abdourahamane Tiani, on Thursday accused the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack, without presenting evidence, and vowed retaliation.
Benin swiftly rejected the allegation. Government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbedji said on Friday: “He is the only one who believes that nonsense.”
The Islamic State affiliate has been linked to several major attacks in Niger in recent months, including an assault in the Tillaberi region in September that killed more than 120 people, and the abduction of an American pilot in October.
Niger, like its Sahel neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, has struggled to contain violence by jihadist groups linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda. The insurgency has killed thousands and displaced millions across the three countries.