Explosions and gunfire erupted Thursday morning at the international airport in Niamey, Niger. Witnesses report the disturbance began at 6:00 AM local time and persisted for two hours near the facility's main entrance.
Nigerien army units successfully repelled the assault and are currently pursuing fleeing assailants who reportedly abandoned their weapons. Residents indicate the immediate situation is under control, though authorities have not yet issued an official statement or confirmed casualties.
No group has claimed responsibility for this specific incident. However, the attack follows a similar January assault on the same airport by an Islamic State affiliate. Niger remains under military junta leadership amid a decade-long struggle against militant Islamist insurgencies affecting the wider Sahel region.