Gunfire was reported on Thursday morning near the Niamey international airport before calm was gradually restored by midday under a heavy military presence.
Sustained gunfire was heard during the early hours of the day in the immediate vicinity of the airport perimeter, according to AFP.
“I heard the first shots around 6:00 AM. The gunfire was coming from the main airport entrance,” one resident said, calling it a “terrorist attack.”
Other inhabitants confirmed prolonged detonations near a security checkpoint before the situation gradually stabilized toward the end of the morning.
A massive security deployment was rushed to the scene, with soldiers positioned along major access routes alongside sweeping operations in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Several residents described the situation as under control by mid-morning, though security force movements remained highly visible around the sensitive sector.
A motorcycle-taxi driver interviewed noted that military units were continuing operations in peripheral neighbourhoods.
“Gunfire has stopped inside the airport; the situation is contained,” he stated, while some local residents were seen assisting security forces in nearby areas.
The episode echoes the attack of January 2026 when Air Base 101 in Niamey, adjacent to the airport, was targeted by the Islamic State in the Sahel, which claimed responsibility for the raid.
That assault, which lasted roughly 30 minutes, was repelled by Nigerien forces backed by the capital’s security grid.
According to Niger’s Ministry of Defence, the attackers – described as “remote-controlled mercenaries” travelling on motorcycles – had attempted to breach the military perimeter before being stopped.
The ensuing firefight injured several service members and caused material damage, including a fire at an ammunition depot.
During their retreat, the assailants also targeted civilian aircraft parked on the airport tarmac.
Aircraft belonging to Asky and Air Côte d’Ivoire were struck, including an Airbus A319 that sustained impacts to its fuselage and right wing, though no casualties were reported among passengers or crew.
The official toll from that incident cited dozens of militants neutralized or detained, alongside the seizure of military hardware and motorcycles, according to Nigerien authorities, who quickly reestablished control.
Following the January attack, authorities significantly reinforced security measures around the airport, extending perimeter fencing, installing hundreds of surveillance cameras, and conducting eviction operations in nearby neighbourhoods, which were justified as anti-terrorist measures.
Against a backdrop of persistent jihadist violence across the Sahel region, Niger – governed by a military administration since 2023 – faces threats from groups affiliated with both the Islamic State and JNIM, which are also active in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso.
AC/jn/APA with AFP