A burst of heavy gunfire and explosions occurred early Thursday near Niger’s capital city international airport before stopping within hours, according to residents.
Videos shot by residents near the area indicated a streak of light in the sky accompanied by loud explosions. Other videos indicated flames several meters high and cars that had been charred.
The Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger’s capital city has an air force base and is 10 kilometers from the presidential palace.
Niger, a country frequently attacked by jihadists, has been ruled for more than two years by Abdourahamane Tiani, a military leader who took over from the elected civilian leader after a coup in 2023.
The gunfire occurred shortly after midnight, according to residents of a neighborhood near the airport.
However, within two hours, all was calm again, according to residents.
It was not clear what caused the gunfire and whether there were any casualties.
The sound of sirens from fire trucks heading to the airport could also be heard in the early hours of the morning, according to residents.
An online activist who is an advocate of military rule, Ibrahim Bana, shared a video on Facebook in which he encouraged citizens to protest in the streets of the capital to “defend the country.”
-Jihadist Violence-
The biggest airport in the country is the headquarters of the joint force formed by Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali to combat the jihadist attacks that have been perpetuated in the region through deadly violence.
Since the military takeover of the country, the military leadership in Niger has expelled the French and US forces that were helping to combat the jihadist attacks in the region.
The countries have teamed up with each other, all of which have been taken over by military leadership, to form their own alliance known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The alliance has announced that it is forming its own 5,000-strong force to conduct joint military operations.
According to ACLED, an NGO that records conflict casualties across the globe, jihadist attacks in Niger claimed almost 2,000 lives in 2025.
A huge shipment of Uranium with an unknown buyer that left the north of the country in late November is stuck at the airport.
