Explosions reported at airport in African state’s capital (VIDEO)
Gunmen attacked Niger’s main airport in the capital Niamey early Thursday, exchanging heavy fire with security forces in an assault that briefly disrupted operations, multiple outlets reported, citing local residents.
Residents near Diori Hamani International Airport reported explosions and sustained gunfire before dawn, with attackers attempting to breach the perimeter before being pushed back by soldiers deployed around the complex, which also hosts Air Base 101.
The identities of the assailants were not immediately known, and no group has claimed responsibility. No casualties have been reported so far, and Nigerien military authorities have not yet issued an official statement.
Footage purportedly from the scene and shared on social media shows a man believed to be one of the attackers being beaten by local residents before soldiers intervene and take him into custody in a military vehicle.
📍#Niger | Attaque terroriste contre l’aéroport de Niamey ⏳
— 𝕮𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝕿𝖎𝖉𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖊 𝕯𝕴𝕬𝕽𝕽𝕬 (@CheickIbtidiani) June 18, 2026
Tôt ce matin, l’aéroport de Niamey a été la cible d’une attaque complexe menée par des groupes armés terroristes.
Selon les premières informations des autorités nigériennes, la situation est désormais sous contrôle… pic.twitter.com/6yvmhqwdi0
The latest incident comes months after a major offensive on the same airport in January, claimed by fighters linked to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). The assault was repelled by Nigerien forces with support from Russian personnel, according to officials. Four Nigerien soldiers were injured in the attack, while military facilities and civilian aircraft on the tarmac were damaged, the West African nation’s Defense Ministry confirmed. The authorities said 20 militants were killed in the exchange of fire and 11 others were arrested.
Niger and its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, have been grappling with violence for more than a decade, with armed groups linked to IS and al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
In April, coordinated strikes hit multiple locations in Mali, including military sites and infrastructure in Bamako and Kati. Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack on his residence, prompting Mali’s transitional leader Assimi Goita to assume direct control of the defense portfolio.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have sought new partnerships, including with Russia, to address the region’s deepening security crisis after severing defense ties with France. The bloc has repeatedly accused France of supporting terrorist groups and militant networks in an effort to destabilize the Sahel.
