35 killed in gun attack in Niger’s airport

At least 35 people were killed in a gun and explosive attack on Niger’s largest airport, the Diori Hamani International Airport in the capital Niamey, according to the country’s defence ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said 22 attackers, 11 soldiers and two civilians were among the dead. It added that four attackers were injured and 20 others were arrested during the operation.

Security forces also recovered a significant cache of weapons, including RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, AK-47 rifles, explosives, grenades, walkie-talkies and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

The attack took place early Thursday morning, shortly after dawn prayers, with residents reporting heavy gunfire and multiple explosions near the airport area. Witnesses initially mistook the blasts for tyre bursts before realising the scale of the assault.

Responsibility for the attack was later claimed by Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked militant group operating in the Sahel region.

The Diori Hamani airport is considered one of Niger’s most sensitive security installations, hosting both civilian operations and a military base, as well as facilities linked to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Source: BBC