Gunfire, blasts heard in several areas of Niger capital Niamey

What the report says

Gunfire and explosions were reported in several parts of Niamey, Niger’s capital, early on Saturday, according to Reuters witnesses cited by Al Jazeera. The activity was said to be concentrated around Diori Hamani International Airport and near the presidential palace, though the immediate cause was not clear in the reporting.

A security source told Reuters that attackers described as “terrorists” had targeted the airport and tried to reach the perimeter of the presidency. Another Reuters source said security forces later carried out search operations and that some of the attackers had been neutralized, while others fled. Al Jazeera also relayed a post from Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger’s Consultative Council and an AES parliament deputy, who said Base 101, a major military site in Niamey, had been attacked but that control had been restored. Reuters said it could not independently verify those claims.

The reported unrest comes against the backdrop of Niger’s military rule since the July 2023 coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum. Since then, the junta led by General Abdourahamane Tiani has moved away from Western partners and aligned more closely with Russia, Mali and Burkina Faso through the Alliance of Sahel States. The latest reports matter because they raise fresh security concerns in a country that has faced repeated instability and militant violence in the wider Sahel region.