Gunfire erupted at Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport at dawn on Thursday. Residents reported sustained automatic fire from the airport entrance starting at 0500 GMT. Security forces sealed off the area within minutes. Two hours later sporadic shots were still audible. No official statement has been released. The attack follows a January assault claimed by Islamic State Sahel Province that killed seven soldiers and destroyed two aircraft.
The airport is a dual-use facility. It handles civilian flights and hosts a military base used by Nigerien forces and foreign partners. In January Islamic State fighters breached the perimeter using tunnels dug from a nearby informal settlement. Authorities demolished 3 200 homes in the district after the attack. Satellite imagery confirmed the tunnels extended 400 metres from the settlement to the airport fence. The demolition displaced 12 000 residents. Many were left without compensation.
Niger’s junta has pivoted toward Russia since seizing power in July 2023. French troops withdrew in December. The junta expelled US forces in May 2024. Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps now guard key installations including the airport. Their presence has not deterred attacks. In April Islamic State fighters ambushed a Russian convoy 80 kilometres north of Niamey killing 17 mercenaries. The group released drone footage of the attack showing burned-out armoured vehicles.
The junta’s security strategy relies on mass demolitions and collective punishment. After the January attack authorities arrested 42 residents of the demolished settlement. They were charged with terrorism and complicity. Trials began in March. Human rights groups say confessions were extracted under torture. The junta has also suspended constitutional rights. A curfew runs from 2200 to 0500 daily. Mobile internet is cut every night. Opposition parties are banned.
The airport’s vulnerability exposes deeper institutional failures. Niger’s military budget has tripled since 2020. Yet corruption diverts funds. A 2023 audit found 30% of defence procurement contracts were awarded to shell companies linked to senior officers. The junta has not acted on the findings. Meanwhile frontline units lack basic equipment. Soldiers in Tillabéri region report sharing one rifle per three men. Ammunition shortages force units to ration bullets during firefights.
The attack also reveals tactical evolution among jihadist groups. Islamic State Sahel Province now uses commercial drones for reconnaissance. In January attackers used a drone to film the airport perimeter before the assault. The footage was later edited into a propaganda video. The group has also adopted suicide tactics. In May a bomber detonated a vest at a military checkpoint in Diffa killing 11 soldiers. The bomber was a 16-year-old boy recruited from a displaced persons camp.
Regional spill-over risks are rising. Niger’s borders are porous. Islamic State fighters move freely between Niger Mali and Burkina Faso. In June a joint operation by Nigerien and Burkinabè forces killed 28 militants near the border. The operation uncovered a training camp with 50 recruits. Most were teenagers from Niger’s Diffa and Tillabéri regions. The camp was run by a former Malian army officer who defected to Islamic State in 2022.
The junta’s response has alienated Western partners. The US suspended $200 million in military aid after the coup. The EU followed in April 2024. Russia has filled the vacuum. A $1 billion arms deal signed in March includes attack helicopters and air defence systems. The first shipment arrived in May. Analysts say the equipment is unlikely to change the security dynamic. Niger’s military lacks the training to operate advanced systems. Russian mercenaries are stretched thin. They are deployed in 12 countries across Africa.
