11 soldiers, 22 terrorists killed in deadly airport attack in Niger

At least 11 soldiers and 22 terrorists were killed early Thursday morning during a coordinated attack on Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger.

The preliminary report, released by the country’s military government and monitored via DW Hausa Service, also confirmed that two civilians lost their lives in the assault.

Explosions and gunfire, which lasted for more than an hour, reportedly began near the airport’s main entrance, forcing security forces to seal off the area and place the capital on maximum alert.

Residents said the Nigerien army successfully repelled the attack and subsequently launched operations to track down fleeing assailants, who were said to have abandoned weapons during their retreat.

As of the time of filing this report, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities are yet to issue a detailed official statement.

The incident mirrors a similar attack on the same facility in January, when militants linked to the Islamic State in the Sahel (IS-Sahel) carried out a coordinated assault using motorcycles, mortars, and drones.

During that attack, both the civilian terminal and the adjacent Air Base 101 — a strategic military hub — were targeted. Although Nigerien forces, supported by Russian Africa Corps fighters, neutralised several militants and captured others, the attackers destroyed military equipment and damaged multiple commercial aircraft.

Niger has been battling a prolonged Islamist insurgency for over a decade. Like neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, the country is currently under military rule following a coup, with the junta pledging to curb escalating insecurity.

The country remains a critical front in the broader Sahel conflict, facing multiple insurgent threats.

In the western region, near Mali and Burkina Faso, security forces confront IS-Sahel and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM, while in the southeast near Lake Chad, they continue to battle Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).