NIAMEY — Security forces searched for militants in the Niger capital after explosions and sustained gunfire were heard near the city’s main airport early Thursday, with the situation appearing mostly calm by noon.Authorities sealed off Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey as gunfire continued through the morning, according to witnesses. Niger’s defense and security forces were placed on maximum alert as they responded to the incident.The first explosions occurred at around 6 am local time (0500 GMT) and sporadic gunfire was still audible nearly two hours later, Reuters reported.A security source said it appeared the airport was under attack.No official casualty figures or further details were immediately available regarding Thursday’s incident. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for Thursday’s attack.According to reports, the assailants managed to enter the airport area, prompting a security operation around the facility and its surroundings.claimed responsibility for an attack on the airport in January. The incident comes months after a major attack on Niamey’s airport and an adjacent military base in January 2026. That assault, claimed by an Islamic State affiliate in the region, was repelled by Nigerien armed forces and their Russian partners, according to authorities.Following the attack, thousands of illegally built homes were torn down in a sprawling neighbourhood near the airport.Authorities said the district had been infiltrated by militants to carry out the attack.Niger, like its Sahel neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, has struggled to contain attacks from militant groups linked to al Qaeda and the IS that have killed thousands and displaced millions in the three countries.Officials said four people were injured and significant material damage was caused during the January attack. Authorities said the attackers’ objective was to destroy the country’s aerial military capabilities.
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