Explosions and sustained gunfire shook Niger’s capital early Saturday after suspected militants attacked the city’s international airport and attempted to penetrate the security zone surrounding the presidency.
Witnesses reported intense shooting in several parts of Niamey, including near Diori Hamani International Airport and the presidential complex. The airport site also contains Base 101, one of the country’s principal military installations.
A Nigerien security source described the assailants as “terrorists” and said they had launched attacks against both strategic locations.
Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger’s Consultative Council and the Alliance of Sahel States parliament, said the military base had been targeted but security personnel had brought the situation under control.
Gunfire and powerful explosions were nevertheless heard around the airport after Ibrahim’s announcement, indicating that security operations were still underway.
Another security source said several attackers had been killed while others escaped, prompting security forces to conduct searches across the capital.
Neither the government’s account nor the reported casualties could be independently confirmed. Niger’s military authorities did not immediately release a detailed statement about the violence.
The incident was the third major outbreak of unrest this year involving the airport and its adjoining airbase, raising further questions about the military government’s ability to contain armed groups operating across the country.
Niger’s military seized power in July 2023, removing President Mohamed Bazoum and promising to improve security. Despite those pledges, attacks by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Daesh have continued.
The airport was previously targeted by Daesh’s Sahel branch, while Al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate later claimed another assault on the facility.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have all withdrawn from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and established the Alliance of Sahel States. Their military-led governments have reduced security cooperation with Western countries while developing closer relations with Russia.
The latest attack comes as Niamey also strengthens state control over the country’s valuable mineral resources. Niger is a major uranium producer and has seized assets previously operated by French nuclear company Orano.
Authorities last week transferred former uranium permits held by Orano and Canadian company GoviEx to state-backed firms.