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Heavy gunfire and explosions rattled Niger’s capital on Saturday as mutinous elements of the armed forces launched an assault on the presidential palace.
Members of the presidential guard repelled the insurgents, maintaining loyalty to military ruler General Abdourahamane Tiani.
The military confirmed that rebels initially took soldiers hostage at a nearby airbase, but security forces gradually regained control of the situation as armed vehicles were deployed throughout key administrative districts.
The clash erupted following a night of intense fighting around Air Force Base 101 near Niamey’s international airport.
State television briefly went off the air, while troops blocked routes leading to the presidential palace and broadcasting facilities.
Defence Minister General Salifou Mody issued a statement on public television urging citizens to remain calm and return to their daily routines, assuring the public that “our defence and security forces have been mobilised for the defence of the homeland.”
Residents reported non-stop automatic fire and heavy weaponry, noting that the intensity surpassed typical hit-and-run tactics.
“The weapons we’re hearing are not the kind that terrorists on motorbikes can carry,” one witness stated, describing the non-stop exchanges that began overnight and continued past daybreak.
The unrest comes as Niger’s three-year-old military regime struggles to contain widespread terrorist violence from rival groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Air Force Base 101, a highly sensitive strategic site that houses Russian Africa Corps partners and Alliance of Sahel States command, has faced multiple terrorist attacks earlier this year.
Authorities continue to monitor the city while urging residents to avoid spreading unverified information online.
