DAKAR, Senegal — Gunmen attacked the main airport in Niger’s capital of Niamey early Thursday morning, leading to an exchange of fire and explosions, witnesses and a security official said.
Security forces were deployed to repel the attack after the gunmen breached the airport security, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the situation. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.
An Associated Press journalist said soldiers were searching people on the road to the airport in the aftermath of the gunfire.
It was the second attack at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey this year, after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a similar attack in January that targeted Niger’s drone assets.
Niger, led by a military junta since a 2023 coup, has struggled to contain deadly jihadi violence that has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali that are also run by military juntas.
The airport is a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force base as well as the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali joint military force.
The military has beefed up the airport security following the January attack, but jihadis in Niger and the wider region continue to pose serious threats, analysts say.
“The symbolism of the airport as headquarters for AES will drive intent by militants to target it,” said Beverly Ochieng, a senior security analyst at Control Risks, referring to the regional Alliance of Sahel States.
Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.
Read the full article at The Washington Times →📄Source document: Witnesses
2 reports
The New York Times (World)Independent🔒Center2 days agoGunmen attacked Niamey airport in Niger, with a militant group claiming responsibility for the attack. This marks the second such incident at a major airport in the country this year.
Bias read (Center): The article reports an event without explicit ideological framing, providing only factual information about the attack and the claim of responsibility by a militant group. No clear bias in language, sourcing, or emphasis is evident.
The Washington TimesIndependentCenter3 days agoGunmen attacked the main airport in Niger's capital, Niamey, early Thursday morning, resulting in an exchange of fire and explosions. Security forces responded to the attack after the attackers breached airport security. This marks the second such attack at the airport this year, with the Islamic State having previously claimed responsibility for a similar incident targeting Niger's drone assets in January. Niger, under a military junta since a 2023 coup, continues to face challenges from jihadi violence in the Sahel region. The airport serves as a strategic hub for the Nigerien air force and邻
Bias read (Center): The article provides a factual account of the attack without apparent ideological framing. It mentions the involvement of Islamic State and references the political context of Niger's military junta, but does not show overt bias toward any side.
Official sources cited
- other Witnesses
- government Security official
- press release Associated Press journalist
United States