JIHADST ASSAULT ROCKS NIAMEY AIRPORT AS NIGER FORCES REPEL ATTACK OVERNIGHT

JIHADST ASSAULT ROCKS NIAMEY AIRPORT AS NIGER FORCES REPEL ATTACK OVERNIGHT  


By Jennifer Nwosu 

Suspected jihadist fighters launched a coordinated overnight assault on Diori Hamani International Airport near Niger’s capital, Niamey, triggering intense gunfire and explosions that rattled nearby neighborhoods and briefly disrupted air travel.

Niger’s Defence Ministry confirmed that four military personnel were injured during the clash, while security forces killed at least 20 of the attackers and arrested 11 others. The assault, which targeted an air base located within the airport complex, lasted roughly 30 minutes before being neutralized by combined air and ground operations.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos in the early hours of Thursday, with heavy gunshots echoing across residential areas close to the airport. Videos circulating locally showed air defense systems firing at what appeared to be unidentified projectiles in the sky. 

Despite the violence, airport services resumed later in the day, though several incoming flights were reportedly diverted during the incident.

The head of Niger’s military-led government, General Abdourahamane Tiani, publicly credited Russian support for helping thwart the attack. He also accused the leaders of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of backing those responsible, claims those countries have consistently denied.

Since seizing power in a July 2023 coup, Niger’s ruling junta has severed military ties with France and deepened security cooperation with Russia as it battles Islamist groups operating across the Sahel region.
State television broadcast footage from the military base showing the bodies of attackers and reported that a French national was among those killed, though no independent confirmation has been provided.

The airport, located about 10 kilometers from the presidential palace, is a strategic hub that also hosts Niger’s air force operations. It has gained additional attention in recent months as a major uranium shipment meant for export remains stranded there following the government’s decision to nationalize uranium mines, a move that strained relations with France. Officials said the shipment was not damaged in the attack.

Security forces maintained a heavy presence around the airport throughout Thursday as investigations continued.

Niger remains one of the world’s significant uranium producers and sits at the center of ongoing regional instability, with militant groups active across its borders with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.

The latest attack underscores the fragile security situation facing the country as its military rulers navigate shifting alliances and persistent insurgent threats.

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