In brief
Gunfire was heard erupting from Niamey's international airport around 06:00 local time, with witnesses noting an hour of explosions. The shots are said to have come from the airport entrance. A January assault on the same site is suspected to have been carried out by Islamic State affiliate militants. Niger’s 10‑year conflict with jihadists underscores the country’s fragile security situation.
Gunfire was reported across the international airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, around 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT). Residents and local witnesses said the explosions began at the airport entrance and continued for nearly an hour. Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the Thursday incident, a January attack on the same airport was blamed on a militant group linked to the Islamic State.
Niger has been engaged in a decade‑long insurgency against Islamist militants, with periodic attacks on civil infrastructure. The recent gunfire adds to an already tense security environment in the region, which also includes neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, all of whom are governed by military juntas formed amid the unrest.
Authorities have not yet released an official statement about the April attack, while the Islamic State affiliate that allegedly carried out the January assault remains the only group to admit involvement. The ongoing violence has drawn international concern and highlighted the fragile state of public safety in Niger’s capital.
