Explosions as gunmen attack airport in Niger’s capital

Eyewitnesses and a security official said gunmen attacked the main airport in Niger’s capital Niamey, causing an exchange of fire and explosions.

The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the situation, said security forces were deployed to repel the attack early Thursday after gunmen breached airport security.

It is not yet clear who the attackers are.

An Associated Press reporter said that after the gunfight, soldiers were searching for people on the road leading to the airport.

This was the second attack on Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey in 2026, after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a similar attack targeting Niger’s drones in January.

Niger, ruled by a military junta since a coup in 2023, is struggling to contain the deadly jihadist violence that has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, ruled by military juntas.

The airport is a strategic hub that hosts the Nigerian air force base as well as the headquarters of the joint Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali military force.

Analysts say the military has stepped up airport security following the January attack, but jihadists in Niger and the wider region continue to pose serious threats.

“The symbolism of the airport as the headquarters of the AES will increase militants’ intent to target it,” said Beverly Ochieng, senior security analyst at Control Risks, referring to the regional Alliance of Sahel States.