Gunfire and explosions reported in Niger’s capital, local media and witnesses say

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard overnight into Saturday morning in Niger’s capital of Niamey, including near the main airport and in an area housing the presidential palace, according to witnesses and local media.

Sustained gunfire began past midnight at the premises of the Diori Hamani International Airport, which hosts a major military base, according to eyewitnesses who requested anonymity for safety reasons. It is the third time this year the airport has experienced unrest.

Local media also reported gunshots ringing out from the Plateau administrative district, where the Presidential Palace and key institutions are located.

Security forces were deployed around the airport and in the Plateau district while a major road leading to Niamey was closed.

State broadcaster RTN stopped its live transmission for a few hours on Saturday morning, but later resumed its broadcast. It did not report the attack.

The ruling military council, known as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, called for unity. “Our Defense and Security Forces are mobilized for the Defense of the Fatherland. Let us remain united, vigilant and supportive,” it said in a Facebook post.

It was not immediately clear what caused the gunfire and explosions. Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a local lawmaker, called it a “cowardly attack” and said the situation has been brought under control.

Jihadi militants had on two occasions this year attacked the airport, a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force base as well as the headquarters of the joint Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali military force.

The latest attack further mounts pressure on Niger’s struggling military junta, which took over power after a 2023 coup and severed ties with longtime Western security partners, including France and the United States.

The military authorities have struggled to contain deadly jihadi violence that has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including Niger’s neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali that are also run by military juntas.