Smoke and flames rise near Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport following early morning gunfire.
Heavy gunfire and explosions shook the area around Niamey’s international airport in Niger early Thursday, which last within hours.
In a video posted online, showed streaks of light in the sky accompanied by loud blasts, while other footage captured towering flames and charred vehicles near Diori Hamani International Airport. The airport, which hosts a military air base, close to the presidential palace.
Witnesses reported that the gunfire began shortly after midnight and lasted around two hours. Calm had returned by the early morning, though the cause of the attack and any casualties remained unclear. Fire trucks were heard rushing toward the airport in the aftermath.
The incident comes as Niger, regularly targeted by jihadist groups, faces ongoing security challenges. Since the 2023 military coup that brought Abdourahamane Tiani to power, the junta has expelled French and US forces previously assisting in counterterrorism operations.
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The airport also serves as the headquarters for a joint military force between Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, established to combat jihadist violence in the Sahel. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), nearly 2,000 people were killed in Niger due to jihadist attacks in 2025. The country’s northern uranium shipments have also been delayed at the airport for weeks, adding to the strategic sensitivity of the site.
An online activist supporting military rule called on residents to take to the streets to “defend the country,” highlighting heightened tensions in the capital.
The attack underscores the ongoing fragility of Niger’s security situation as the military leadership strengthens regional alliances through the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
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