Flights suspended at Niger's Niamey airport after armed attack

Flights at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger's capital, Niamey, have been suspended after a group of armed men attacked the facility on Thursday. The attack, which witnesses described as involving detonations and heavy gunfire, began around 5:00 AM local time and lasted for nearly two hours.

Residents living near the airport reported hearing the sounds of war weapons echoing through several areas of the capital. The assailants reportedly arrived in a bus belonging to a local private transport company and gained access to the airport on foot through the main control gate. Some attackers were also said to have arrived in taxis that were commandeered for the operation.

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The bus dropped them off at the roundabout at the entrance to the airport, from where they could enter on foot to carry out their attack.

"The bus dropped them off at the roundabout at the entrance to the airport, from where they could enter on foot to carry out their attack," one local resident told EFE. Military sources indicated that the number of casualties on both sides could not be immediately confirmed, stating that wounded individuals were being treated. The Nigerian government has not yet released an official statement regarding the circumstances of the attack.

This is not the first security incident at the airport. On January 29, authorities temporarily suspended flights following a terrorist attack on military facilities within the aerodrome, which resulted in an undetermined number of deaths, including twenty attackers. Niger has been under military junta rule since July 2023, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, and faces a growing insecurity crisis fueled by jihadist groups.

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We have received wounded people whom we are trying to save. We are doing our best.