Gunfire, explosions rock Niger airport, presidential palace

Residents of Niamey, Niger Republic, were jolted awake on Saturday by gunfire and explosions after armed attackers reportedly targeted a military facility at Diori Hamani International Airport.

The airport, which is about 10 kilometres from the presidential palace, also houses an air force base and other key military installations.

Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger’s Bureau of the Consultative Council and a representative in the Alliance of Sahel States Parliament, confirmed the incident in a Facebook post.

He described the attack on Base 101 as an attempt to undermine the country’s security forces but said the situation had been brought under control.

Another security source cited by Reuters said suspected terrorists attempted to penetrate the security perimeter around the presidential complex.

The identity of the attackers and whether there were casualties remained unclear as of Saturday morning. Nigerien authorities had also not issued an official statement on the incident.

The latest attack comes about two months after an assault on the same airport in June, when 11 security personnel and two civilians were killed.

Authorities said 22 attackers were eliminated during that operation, while 20 suspects were arrested and weapons and ammunition recovered.

Diori Hamani International Airport was also targeted in January, with the Islamic State claiming responsibility for that attack.

Niger has remained under military rule since July 2023, when General Abdourahamane Tchiani seized power from President Mohamed Bazoum.

Since the coup, the military government has reduced its reliance on Western partners and deepened security ties with Russia, while strengthening cooperation with Mali and Burkina Faso, which are also under military rule.