Al-Qaeda-linked group claims responsibility for raid
Gunmen attacked Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey on Thursday morning, killing 35 people in the second assault on Niger's largest airport in less than five months. The al-Qaeda-linked group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, known by its Arabic acronym JNIM, claimed responsibility for what it described as a suicide attack on the airport and a neighboring military base.
The assault began early in the morning as residents finished their prayers. Lawalli Tsalha, who lives near the airport, told the BBC: "We finished our prayer at about 05:50 and shortly afterwards we heard a loud bang, like something had exploded, perhaps a tyre. It was only a little later that we realised what was happening." Gunfire and explosions continued for hours, with one resident reporting to Agence France-Presse that shots erupted around 6 o'clock near the airport entrance security checkpoint.
Casualties and security response
Niger's defence ministry reported that 22 attackers, 11 soldiers, and two civilians were killed in the raid. An additional four attackers were wounded and 20 suspects were arrested. Security forces repelled the assault and by mid-morning the violence had settled, though authorities launched a manhunt for any remaining attackers.
Armed local residents joined the search effort, picking up machetes and sticks to defend themselves. One unnamed resident told the BBC: "The attackers mixed in with the local population, so finding them was not easy. Civilians picked up machetes and sticks to defend themselves and to strike anyone they did not recognise who came their way." Security personnel attempted to prevent civilians from getting involved in the operation.
Weapons and security measures
Security forces seized a large cache of weapons including RPG-7 launchers, AK-47 rifles, explosives, grenades, communications equipment, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The airport vicinity was locked down Thursday afternoon with security forces searching vehicles entering and leaving the area.
In recent weeks, authorities demolished neighborhoods near the airport citing "terrorist risks" and extended the airport's perimeter fence. They installed more than 350 surveillance cameras at the facility, according to Agence France-Presse.
Pattern of escalating violence
The attack marks the second assault on the airport since January, when an organization linked to the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a raid that killed 20 attackers and wounded four military personnel. Niger has been fighting an Islamist insurgency for a decade, and analysts say armed groups are increasingly targeting cities and urban centers across Africa's Sahel region as they compete for influence and territories.
The airport serves as both a civilian aviation hub and military base, and also hosts facilities linked to the Alliance of Sahel States, which comprises Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. All three countries are run by juntas that came to power partly because of their failure to contain years of jihadist violence.
Government response and international tensions
Niger's defence ministry blamed "armed mercenaries" for the attack and claimed they were sponsored by France, without providing evidence. France had not immediately commented on the accusation. Since the coup, French soldiers based in Niger have been ordered to leave and replaced with Russian military contractors.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf "strongly condemned" the assault and praised Nigerien forces whose actions "made it possible to repel the attack and secure the airport facilities."
