At least 35 people were killed after gunmen launched an attack on Niger’s largest airport on Thursday, marking the second such assault on the facility in less than five months.
According to Niger’s Defence Ministry, the death toll included 22 attackers, 11 soldiers and two civilians. Four other assailants were injured, while around 20 suspects were detained following the attack on Diori Hamani International Airport in the capital, Niamey.
Residents said explosions and heavy gunfire erupted shortly after morning prayers near the airport and an adjacent military facility. Security forces subsequently launched a large-scale search operation and recovered a cache of weapons, including assault rifles, grenades, RPG launchers and explosives.
The Al-Qaeda-linked militant group JNIM later claimed responsibility for the attack. The airport, which also serves as a military base and hosts key regional defence installations, was secured later in the day after the fighting subsided, according to the BBC.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as some civilians assisted security forces in identifying suspects. Officials said several attackers had reportedly blended into nearby residential neighbourhoods, complicating efforts to contain the assault.
The African Union condemned the attack and commended Nigerien security forces for repelling it. The airport has been repeatedly targeted amid escalating jihadist violence across the Sahel, where Niger’s military-led government has remained in power since a series of coups linked to worsening insecurity.
A similar attack on the same facility in January left several military personnel wounded and dozens of assailants dead, underscoring the persistent security threats facing one of Niger’s most strategically important installations.