Witnesses in Niamey, the capital of Niger, reported hearing explosions and continuous gunfire early Thursday morning near the city’s airport and adjacent military airbase. A security source described the situation as what appeared to be a deliberate attack on the facility.
No group had immediately stepped forward to take responsibility for the incident, and a spokesperson for the Niger government had not responded to requests for comment as of early Thursday.
The airport has been targeted before. An affiliate of the Islamic State operating in the region claimed responsibility for a similar strike on the airport back in January. At that time, the group stated it had targeted air command headquarters and drone equipment, boasting that it had “delivered a direct blow” to the country’s efforts to fight insurgency.
Thursday’s incident began with the first explosions reported at approximately 6 a.m. local time, which is 5 a.m. GMT. A Reuters witness on the ground reported that sporadic gunfire could still be heard nearly two hours after the initial blasts. Security forces moved quickly to seal off the surrounding area.
Niger is no stranger to this kind of violence. Like its neighboring Sahel nations Mali and Burkina Faso, the country has been battling relentless attacks from jihadist organizations with ties to both al Qaeda and Islamic State. Those conflicts have claimed thousands of lives and forced millions of people from their homes across all three countries.
Looking back at the January attack, Niger’s Defence Ministry reported that militants had approached on motorcycles before being driven back by security forces. Four soldiers were wounded in that assault. The ministry also noted that a stockpile of ammunition caught fire during the attack and that several civilian aircraft sustained damage.
Niger’s military ruler, Abdourahamane Tiani, previously blamed the presidents of France, Benin, and Ivory Coast for sponsoring the January attack, though he provided no evidence to support the accusation. He also issued a warning of retaliation at that time.
