An attempted assault near Niger’s main international airport was thwarted on Thursday after security personnel engaged armed attackers in a prolonged confrontation on the outskirts of the capital, Niamey.
Residents reported hearing sustained gunfire for several hours around Diori Hamani International Airport, a strategically important facility that also serves military operations.
The incident prompted a heavy deployment of security officers across the area.
Authorities had not issued an official statement by Thursday evening, but an airport source said the attackers were repelled and that several of them were killed during the operation.
According to the source, the gunmen approached a security checkpoint near the airport before encountering resistance from security personnel.
“I heard the first shots around 6 o’clock (0500 GMT). The shooting was coming from the airport entrance,” where there is a security checkpoint, one resident told AFP.
Investigators believe the attackers arrived at the location using civilian transport before launching the operation. The airport source said the gunmen had arrived at the checkpoint by taxi, then encountered fierce resistance from security forces.
Following the clash, some of the suspects reportedly fled into nearby neighbourhoods, triggering a large-scale search operation involving both security officers and local residents.
“The attackers were dispersed in the surrounding neighbourhoods, where the security forces are carrying out vast sweeps”, the airport source said.
“The zone is still under tight military surveillance,” the source added.
Witnesses described an atmosphere of uncertainty as military vehicles moved through communities surrounding the airport. Some residents said they joined efforts to help identify suspects believed to have escaped from the scene.
“The military went down into certain neighbourhoods around the airport to sweep the area; they are receiving help from residents who are hunting down bandits with sticks and machetes,” said another resident, a motorbike-taxi driver.
The security operation also disrupted air travel, with some passengers unable to access the airport.
“When we got near the airport, the soldiers explained that it was not possible to take the plane,” one resident who had planned to travel said.
The latest incident comes months after the airport and a nearby military drone facility were targeted in an attack claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS). Nigerien forces, supported by Russian allies, successfully repelled that assault. Authorities later reported that 20 attackers were killed while four soldiers sustained injuries.
Security around the airport has since been strengthened. The government has expanded perimeter fencing, installed hundreds of surveillance cameras and cleared settlements near the facility, arguing that such measures are necessary to reduce security risks.
Analysts, however, say the recurrence of attacks raises questions about the effectiveness of those interventions.
“The fact that the attack once again started in the morning and lasted a long time indicates that the measures taken have not been effective so far,” Hasret Kargin, of intelligence firm Mintel World, told AFP.
Niger continues to face persistent security challenges linked to extremist groups operating across the Sahel region.
The country, alongside neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, has spent years battling insurgent violence associated with groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda.
Thursday’s attempted attack underscores the ongoing threat facing the region despite heightened security measures. While authorities succeeded in preventing further damage at the airport, the incident highlights the continuing struggle to contain militant activity and safeguard critical national infrastructure.
