Gunfire erupted early on Thursday near the airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey, residents told AFP, reviving security fears months after a major jihadist attack on the facility.
A resident reported hearing the first shots around 6 a.m. local time from the airport entrance, with shooting continuing for at least two hours. Another resident confirmed the gunfire originated from the same location.
The incident comes after the Diori Hamani International Airport was targeted in January by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) in an unprecedented assault repelled by Nigerien armed forces and allied Russian fighters. That attack marked the first time jihadist violence reached the capital, previously contained to other regions.
Following the January attack, authorities demolished thousands of illegally built homes in a sprawling neighbourhood near the airport, claiming the district had been infiltrated by jihadists.
Niger, a vast country in West Africa’s Sahel region, has battled armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for over a decade. The military junta that seized power in 2023 has shifted alliances from Western partners toward Russia while struggling to contain the insurgency.
No official statement has been issued by Nigerien authorities regarding Thursday’s gunfire.
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