Panic and confusion swept through Niger’s capital early Thursday morning as sustained gunfire erupted at the entrance of Diori Hamani International Airport, raising fresh fears of another major security breach just months after the facility was hit in a deadly jihadist attack.
Residents woke up to the terrifying sound of heavy shooting around 6:00 am local time (0500 GMT). Multiple witnesses confirmed the gunfire was coming directly from the airport’s main entrance and continued for at least two hours.
One resident who spoke to AFP by telephone said:
“I heard the first shots around 6 o’clock. The shooting was coming from the airport entrance.”
Another resident corroborated the account, describing the situation as tense and chaotic, with security forces quickly deployed to the scene.
A City Still on Edge
This latest incident comes barely five months after the airport was targeted in an unprecedented attack claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS). That January assault was repelled by Nigerien forces supported by Russian fighters, but it marked a dangerous escalation — the first time jihadist violence had reached the capital in such a direct manner.
Following the January attack, authorities demolished thousands of illegally built homes in a sprawling neighbourhood near the airport, claiming the area had been infiltrated by jihadists to facilitate the assault.
Niger, a vast and unstable country in the Sahel, has been battling jihadist groups linked to both Al-Qaeda and Islamic State for over a decade. Violence that was once confined to remote border regions has steadily crept closer to the capital, raising fears of a major security breakdown.
As of the time of this report, there has been no official statement from the Nigerien government or military confirming the cause of the gunfire or whether it was an attack, an internal clash, or something else.
The situation remains tense, with residents urged to stay indoors while security forces maintain a heavy presence around the airport.
This latest eruption of violence in Niamey adds to growing concerns about the stability of the Sahel region, where military coups and jihadist insurgencies continue to reshape the political and security landscape.
Source: Channels Television / AFP
