Niger’s military says it has killed 20 gunmen and captured 11 others after thwarting an overnight assault on a Nigerien Air Force base in the capital, Niamey.
President Abdourahamane Tiani said on national television that a rapid response by defence forces, supported by what he described as Russian partners, led to the attackers being fully repelled.
“Some were neutralised on the spot, others were neutralised as they fled in panic,” he said.
Tiani accused the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack, warning that they “should now prepare to listen to us roar,” according to media.
A Defence Ministry statement said the attackers carried out a 30 minute assault on Air Base 101, located within the Diori Hamani International Airport complex.
The attack, carried out by gunmen riding motorcycles, left four soldiers wounded and caused damage to military equipment, including an ammunition stockpile that caught fire.
The ministry said the base’s security systems, working alongside Niamey’s defence and security forces, successfully repelled the assault.
As the attackers fled, they reportedly fired indiscriminately at three civilian aircraft, including two operated by the airline ASKY.
Since December, the airport has also been used to store around 1,000 metric tonnes of uranium concentrate from the Arlit mine in northern Niger, following a legal dispute with the French nuclear group Orano.
The government revoked Orano’s licence and assumed full control of the Arlit mine in December 2024.
Niger continues to face growing insecurity linked to armed groups such as JNIM and ISIS, with frequent attacks, civilian casualties and displacement, mainly in the country’s western regions.
In December last year, the Alliance of Sahel States officially launched a 5,000 strong joint force, known as the United Force of the AES, during a ceremony at an air base in Bamako, Mali.
The force was inaugurated by Mali’s military leader Assimi Goita, is commanded by Burkinabe General Daouda Traore and is headquartered in Niamey.