Gunfire, Blasts Heard Near Niger Airport

Sustained gunfire and loud blasts were reportedly heard early on Thursday near Niamey International Airport in Niger, according to a witness.

The witness told Reuters that as of 0012 GMT, the gunfire, which had started almost an hour earlier, was still ongoing.

On the social media platform X, a video appeared to show flashes of light over the city’s night skyline, accompanied by loud explosions; other images showed flames and burned cars several metres high.

The authenticity and context of the video cannot be independently confirmed at the time of filing this report.

The presidential palace is roughly ten kilometres away from the capital’s Diori Hamani International Airport, which is home to an air force base.

A spokesperson for Niger’s military-led authorities, who came to power following a coup in July 2023, was not immediately available to comment on the reports.

Niger, along with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, has for years faced security challenges linked to attacks by armed groups operating in the Sahel region, including groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

Authorities have not said whether the sounds heard near the airport were connected to any such activity.