Attackers target Niger airport and presidency perimeter

Sustained gunfire and explosions have rung out across several areas of Niger's capital, Niamey, with the cause not immediately clear.

A security source told Reuters that "terrorists" had attacked the city's Diori Hamani International Airport on Saturday and attempted to breach the security perimeter around the presidency.

Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger's Bureau of the Consultative Council and a deputy in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Parliament, said on Facebook that attackers had targeted Base 101, a major military installation in Niamey.

But that security forces had regained control. "Another cowardly attack on Base 101 and once again our defence and security forces ensured ... Situation under control," Ibrahim wrote.

Reuters could not immediately verify the claims made by the security source and Ibrahim.

A second security source told Reuters that security forces had launched search operations and that the attackers had been "neutralised", with others fleeing.

The second Reuters witness said the gunfire had been heavy and persistent around the presidential palace.

Niger, a mineral-rich West African nation with significant uranium, oil and gold resources, has been ruled by the military since a July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Since seizing power, General Abdourahamane Tiani's junta has shifted away from Western partners, deepened ties with Russia and joined Mali and Burkina Faso in AES, a breakaway from the regional ECOWAS bloc.

All three countries continue to battle Islamist insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State despite pledges by their military rulers to improve security.

Earlier in 2026, deadly attacks killed at least 44 civilians in Niger's southwest in March and an assault near Niamey's international airport in January.