Gunmen Attack Niamey Airport, Triggering Clashes With Security Forces

Armed men launched an attack on Niger’s main international airport in the capital, Niamey, early Thursday, prompting a response from security forces and raising fresh concerns about the security situation in the Sahel nation.

Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and explosions around Diori Hamani International Airport after the attackers breached the airport’s security perimeter. Nigerien forces were deployed to contain the assault and repel the gunmen, according to a security official familiar with the situation.

Authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators, and no immediate information was available regarding casualties or damage caused by the attack.

In the aftermath of the incident, security personnel established checkpoints on roads leading to the airport and conducted searches of travelers and vehicles as part of efforts to secure the area.

The assault marks the second attack targeting the airport this year. In January, the so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on the facility that focused on Niger’s drone infrastructure.