Suspected insurgents launched a coordinated assault on Diori Hamani International Airport and the adjacent Air Base 101 in Niamey, Niger, on Thursday.
The early morning attack triggered loud explosions and heavy gunfire, temporarily disrupting flights and forcing residents to shelter. Security forces later sealed off the area.
The BBC quoted one resident as saying the first gunshots were heard “while I was still at mosque” at around 6am local time. Another witness said the gunfire lasted for two hours and came from the entrance to the airport.
Niger is currently ruled by a military regime that seized power in a 2023 coup, after the country’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum. The coup was led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who is now Niger’s head of state.
The latest attack follows a major assault in January, when insurgents on motorcycles attempted to strike the air base. Nigerien authorities reported at the time that 20 attackers were killed and 11 arrested, while four military personnel were wounded. At least five military aircraft and several civilian planes were destroyed.
Following the January attack, Nigerien authorities demolished neighbourhoods and installed more than 350 surveillance cameras around the airport to reduce future security risks.