Niger’s security forces have launched a large-scale operation to track down the perpetrators of a deadly attack on Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport that killed at least 11 soldiers and two civilians on Thursday.
The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group, claimed responsibility for the assault, which also resulted in the deaths of 22 attackers.
“A large-scale operation by the defence and security forces to track down and neutralise the remaining elements is underway,” a military statement said. “Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport, which is fully secure, remains open to air traffic.”
Gunfire erupted around 6:00 am (0500 GMT) near the airport’s main entrance checkpoint and continued for several hours. According to an airport source, the attackers arrived by taxi before meeting fierce resistance from security forces. Some of the assailants were wearing explosive belts.
The gunmen were eventually dispersed into surrounding neighbourhoods, where security forces, supported by local residents armed with sticks and machetes, conducted sweeping operations. Authorities said four people were wounded and around 20 suspects have been arrested.
Jihadist Claim
In a statement released later on Thursday, JNIM said it carried out a “suicide attack” targeting both the airport and a neighbouring military base.
Niger has been governed by a military junta for three years following a 2023 coup. The regime has faced persistent challenges in containing a decade-long jihadist insurgency that has destabilised much of the Sahel region.
Previous Attack and Security Concerns
This is the second major assault on the airport in recent months. In January, the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) claimed a similar attack on the airport and an adjacent military drone base. Nigerien forces, with Russian support, repelled that assault, killing 20 attackers.
Following the January attack, the junta accused France of backing the assailants — an allegation Paris strongly denies. The Nigerien authorities have since intensified security around the airport, extending the perimeter fence, installing over 350 surveillance cameras, and demolishing thousands of illegally built homes in nearby areas suspected of harbouring jihadists.
Despite these measures, analysts say significant vulnerabilities remain. Hasret Kargin of Mintel World told AFP that the repeated success of such attacks suggests possible internal information leaks and that current security protocols have yet to prove effective.
The European Union and African Union both condemned Thursday’s attack.
Niger, along with fellow junta-led states Burkina Faso and Mali, continues to battle insurgent groups linked to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Under junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani, the country has pivoted away from traditional Western partners toward closer ties with Russia, Iran, and Turkey.
Source : Africanews
