Heavy gunfire and explosions heard near airport in Niger capital

NIAMEY — Heavy gunfire and loud explosions were heard early Thursday near the international airport outside Niger’s capital Niamey.The shooting began shortly after midnight, according to residents of a neighborhood near the airport. Videos filmed by residents of the area showed streaks of light in the sky with the sound of loud explosions, while other images showed flames several meters high and charred cars. The capital’s Diori Hamani International Airport houses an air force base and is located about 10 km from the presidential palace.Niger, a country grappling with an armed insurgency, has been led for more than two years by Abdourahamane Tiani, who overthrew the country’s elected civilian president in 2023.It was not immediately clear what had caused the gunfire and whether there were any casualties.The sound of sirens from fire trucks heading toward the airport could also be heard in the early hours of the morning, according to local residents.Since taking over the country, Niger’s military leadership has forced out French and US forces who had been helping to combat the militants.Niger and its neighbours, also led by military juntas, have teamed up to create their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), and have announced the creation of a 5,000-strong force for joint military operations.Multiple eyewitness accounts and videos showed air defense systems apparently engaging unidentified projectiles in the early hours of Thursday.The situation later calmed down, reports say, with an official reportedly saying the situation was now under control, without elaborating.A huge uranium shipment destined for export has been stuck at the airport amid unresolved legal and diplomatic complications with France after the military government nationalized the country’s uranium mines.The official told the agency they were trying to determine whether the gunfire was linked to the uranium shipment. — Agencies