Niger says soldiers, civilians killed in armed attack on Niamey airport

Niger's Defence Ministry announced on Thursday that an assault by armed men on Diori Hamani International Airport in the capital killed 11 soldiers and two civilians. According to a ministry statement read on national television, 22 attackers were also killed, and about 20 suspects were apprehended.

Earlier on Thursday, sources told Al Jazeera that soldiers in Niamey fought suspected rebels around the airport and a military airbase starting at approximately 6:00am local time. An airport employee living nearby reported hearing heavy gunfire and seeing a large military deployment as he headed to work, prompting him to turn back. Another source told AFP that the gunmen arrived by taxi at a security checkpoint near the airport and met fierce resistance from security forces, with gunfire lasting for hours.

The ministry statement said a large-scale army operation was underway and that the airport, fully secured, remained open to air traffic. By noon, the situation was mostly calm, with only sporadic fire possibly linked to the army's sweeping operations, according to a Reuters witness and two residents. No group immediately claimed responsibility. The ministry reported four wounded in the preliminary toll.

In January, the regional ISIL affiliate claimed responsibility for an attack on the same complex, which killed 20 fighters and wounded four soldiers. In recent weeks, authorities have been demolishing thousands of illegally built homes near the airport, citing efforts to counter terrorist risks and alleging infiltration by armed rebels. Niamey's airport is one of the country's most strategic military sites, hosting the G5 Sahel force, Russian troops, and a drone unit. It also stores uranium stocks that Niger is seeking to sell, and any strike on those facilities could pose a serious environmental risk.