Gunfire and explosions were heard in Niamey, Niger\u2019s capital, early Saturday morning, including around a military base near the city\u2019s airport.<\/p>\n
The origin of the shooting was not immediately clear, while authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.<\/p>\n
A resident told AFP that there was \u201cheavy gunfire and explosions\u201d at Air Force Base 101 in Niamey, a claim corroborated by several other witnesses.<\/p>\n
The first shots were reportedly heard around 1:00 am local time and continued until daybreak, according to a video published by a local journalist filming around the airport.<\/p>\n
Another resident in western Niamey said he heard sporadic small-arms fire at about 5:00 am.<\/p>\n
Several social media posts also reported gunfire and explosions in other parts of the city, particularly around the administrative district where the presidential palace and national television station are located.<\/p>\n
Videos circulating online showed armoured vehicles deployed around the neighbourhood near the airport.<\/p>\n
The incident comes months after jihadists launched two attacks on Niamey airport.<\/p>\n
The Islamic State in the Sahel, EIS, attacked the facility in January, while the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, JNIM, the Sahel branch of Al-Qaeda, carried out another attack in June.<\/p>\n
Authorities said 20 attackers were killed and four soldiers wounded during the January assault.<\/p>\n
In June, at least 11 soldiers and two civilians were killed, alongside 22 attackers, according to Niger\u2019s Defence Ministry. Both attacks were repelled by the military.<\/p>\n
The jihadist groups are active across Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali and have also been fighting for dominance against each other in the Sahel.<\/p>\n
Niger has been ruled by a military junta headed by General Abdourahamane Tiani since a coup in July 2023.<\/p>\n
The three countries, which are governed by military regimes, have strengthened ties with Russia after distancing themselves from traditional Western partners and withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.<\/p>\n
Air Force Base 101, located within the international airport complex, is considered a sensitive military facility. It also houses personnel linked to Russia\u2019s Africa Corps and the command of the joint force of the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.<\/p>\n
The cause of Saturday\u2019s gunfire and whether the incident was linked to jihadist activity remained unclear as of press time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gunfire and explosions were heard in Niamey, Niger\u2019s capital, early Saturday morning, including around a military base near the city\u2019s airport. The origin of the shooting was not immediately clear, while authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident. A resident told AFP that there was \u201cheavy gunfire and explosions\u201d at Air […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n