At least eleven members of the Armed Forces and two civilians have lost their lives following an attack attributed to alleged terrorists against the Diori Hamani International Airport, located in Niamey, the capital of Niger, where an attack claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State already occurred in January.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense detailed in a statement broadcast by national television that the attackers, some equipped with explosive belts, attempted to access the aerodrome terminal. Security forces responded immediately to thwart the incursion, which led to several explosions and an exchange of gunfire that lasted about ten minutes.
"The provisional toll of this attempted incursion is as follows: on our side, thirteen martyrs, including eleven members of the defense and security forces and two civilians, as well as four other injured. On the enemy side, 22 attackers neutralized and around 20 suspects detained," he specified.
The spokesperson also stressed that the situation is now under control and that "the airport remains open to air traffic," before pointing out that Nigerien forces have launched an operation in the area with the aim of reinforcing security in the surroundings.
In January, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack against the Nigerien military base located at the Niamey airport. At that time, the head of Niger's military junta, Abdourahmane Tchiani, confirmed that Diori Hamani International Airport "was the target of an infiltration attempt by remotely controlled mercenaries" whom he linked to France, Benin, and Ivory Coast.
On that occasion, the Nigerien Ministry of Defense put the number of attackers killed at 20 and those detained at eleven, in addition to reporting four soldiers injured, in a context of growing insecurity in the African country, governed by a junta since the July 2023 coup d'état against the then-elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger is currently going through a severe security crisis, facing in the west the threat of Al Qaeda's branch in Mali, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM), and Islamic State in the Sahel. Added to this is the pressure from Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA), in the Diffa region, bordering Lake Chad, although Niamey has not been hit with the same intensity until now.