Gunfire and explosions reported at Niger’s capital airport in Niamey
Heavy gunfire and explosions have been reported around the international airport in Niger’s capital Niamey. The country has been fighting a militant Islamist insurgency for a decade, and the same airport was attacked by suspected jihadists in January this year.
Local residents said sustained gunfire and several heavier explosions were heard around the airport for hours in the evening. According to witnesses, security forces sealed off nearby roads and the main artery leading to the terminal was closed to traffic. There has so far been no confirmed official statement on the nature of the incident or possible casualties.
Niger, alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, is among the countries facing the most intense jihadist insurgency in the Sahel. After the 2023 military takeover, Niamey went through a transition that led to the withdrawal of French and later U.S. bases. The earlier attack on the same airport in January was viewed as a serious security test for the authorities.
The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had not commented at the time of writing. Regional analysts say the latest incident again tests the control capacity of security forces inside the capital; the military government is expected to address the country on national broadcasters in the coming hours.
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