Armed Group Attacks Niger Airport, 11 Soldiers Killed

An armed group attacked Niger’s largest airport on Thursday morning local time, with gunfire heard for hours near Diori Hamani International Airport. The assault killed at least 11 soldiers and two civilians, while 22 attackers were also killed, according to the defence ministry. It marks the second such attack in less than five months. A large-scale military operation is underway and the international airport, which is fully secure, remains open to air traffic, the ministry said in a statement read on television. Residents of the majority-Muslim nation reported hearing loud explosions after dawn prayers as blasts and gunfire erupted from the airport located in the capital, Niamey. “We finished prayers around 05:50 (04:50 GMT) and shortly after we heard a loud explosion — like something detonating, perhaps a tyre. It was only moments later that we realised what was happening,” said Lawalli Tsalha, who lives near the airport. An airport source said the attackers arrived at a checkpoint “by taxi” before encountering “fierce resistance” from security forces. The attackers then “scattered into surrounding neighbourhoods, where security forces are conducting a massive sweep,” the source added, noting the zone remains under tight military surveillance. The checkpoint is located a few hundred metres from the airport entrance, where armed police inspect vehicles and identity documents. “The military deployed to several neighbourhoods around the airport to comb the area; they received help from residents who hunted the bandits with sticks and machetes,” said another resident, a motorcycle taxi driver.