Gunfire and explosions were heard near Niger’s main international airport in the capital of Niamey early on Thursday, with RT sources reporting that at least ten suspected militants were killed in the attack.
Diori Hamani Airport, which is about 10 km (6 miles) from the presidential palace, hosts an air force base and has also reportedly been used as a hub for a new joint force involving Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to combat jihadist insurgents driving violence across the Sahel.
Residents living near the airport told AFP the shooting lasted roughly two hours. Videos filmed in the area appeared to show flashes in the night sky and burning vehicles.
According to RT sources, about 50 attackers on motorcycles were involved in the assault.
“The situation is being assessed,” an account linked to the West African nation’s military government said in a statement on X, confirming that “gunshots have been heard at Niamey Airport.”
The Anadolu news agency quoted a Nigerien Foreign Affairs Ministry official as saying that “the situation is under control,” without giving further details.
The official reportedly said the authorities are investigating whether the incident has any connection to a uranium stockpile from northern Niger that has been stranded at the airport since late November. The consignment has become the subject of a dispute between Niger’s authorities and the French nuclear company Orano after the African country stripped the firm of its mining assets, accusing it of operating under unfair contractual terms.
Niger and its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, have been grappling with violence for more than a decade, with armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State repeatedly targeting civilians and national security forces.
The three West African states have expelled French troops previously deployed on counterterrorism missions, accusing France of failing to contain the insurgency. Niamey, Bamako and Ouagadougou have since formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and forged new partnerships, including with Russia, as they seek alternative support to address the region’s deepening security crisis.
The AES has also accused France of supporting terrorist groups and militant networks in an effort to destabilize the Sahel.