Ministry of Defence says 11 troopers, 2 civilians and 22 attackers killed in Diori Hamani Worldwide Airport assault.
Printed On 18 Jun 2026
An assault by armed males on an airport in Niger’s capital has killed 11 troopers and two civilians, in response to the nation’s defence ministry, 5 months after a significant assault.
Twenty-two armed attackers had been additionally killed within the assault and about 20 suspects had been apprehended, the ministry added in a press assertion learn out on nationwide tv on Thursday.
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Troopers in Niamey fought suspected rebels across the Diori Hamani Worldwide Airport and a navy airbase on Thursday, sources instructed Al Jazeera earlier within the day.
A supply stated gunmen affiliated with an armed group attacked at roughly 6:00am (05:00 GMT) native time.
One airport worker who lives close to the airport instructed Al Jazeera he heard heavy exchanges of gunfire and noticed a big navy deployment as he drove in direction of work and determined to show again for security. A second native supply dwelling near the airport additionally reported listening to intense artillery.
A supply instructed the AFP information company that gunmen had arrived at a safety checkpoint close to the airport “by taxi”, then encountered “fierce resistance” from safety forces. Gunfire rang out for hours within the space.
A “large-scale operation” by the military “is underway and the worldwide airport, which is absolutely secured, stays open to air visitors,” the defence ministry assertion stated.
The state of affairs appeared largely calm by midday (11:00 GMT), with solely sporadic hearth presumably linked to the military’s sweeping operations, a Reuters information company witness and two residents stated.
There was no instant declare of duty for the assault, which the defence ministry stated left 4 folks wounded, in response to a preliminary toll.
The airport and navy airbase are in the identical advanced, with the bottom located reverse the civilian terminal.
The ISIL affiliate within the area claimed duty for an assault on the advanced in January. Twenty fighters had been killed and 4 troopers wounded within the January 29 assault, authorities stated.
On the time, the group stated it had focused air command headquarters and drone belongings and claimed to have “delivered a direct blow” to the Sahel nation’s anti-rebels operations.
In latest weeks, the authorities have began tearing down hundreds of illegally constructed houses subsequent to the airport in what they stated had been efforts to counter a “terrorist” threat.
They alleged the shantytowns had been infiltrated by armed rebels. The airport perimeter fence has been prolonged, and greater than 350 safety cameras have been put in inside and out of doors the perimeter.
Niamey’s airport is without doubt one of the nation’s most strategic navy websites. It hosts the G5 Sahel “counterterrorism” pressure, Russian forces and the drone unit finishing up strikes towards insurgent teams.
Uranium shares that Niger is searching for to promote are additionally saved on the airport. Any strike on these amenities may pose a critical environmental threat.
Niger, like its Sahel neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, has struggled to contain attacks from armed teams linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL which have killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands throughout the three international locations.
