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Niger’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that the attack in
Niamey was foiled and that 20 suspects were arrested along with
weapons and ammunition.
Witnesses reported gunfire and explosions during the attack, and
an Associated Press journalist saw soldiers searching people on
the road to the airport in the aftermath of the violence.
Hours later, the National Civil Aviation Agency said the airport
was operating normally.
Niger, led by a military junta since a 2023 coup, has struggled
to contain deadly jihadi violence that has battered parts of
Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali
that are also run by military juntas.
It was the second attack at Diori Hamani International Airport
in Niamey this year, after the Islamic State group claimed
responsibility for a similar attack in January that targeted
Niger’s drone assets.
The airport is a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force
base as well as the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali
joint military force.
The military has beefed up the airport security following the
January attack, but jihadis in Niger and the wider region
continue to pose serious threats, analysts say.
“The symbolism of the airport as headquarters for AES will drive
intent by militants to target it,” said Beverly Ochieng, a
senior security analyst at Control Risks, referring to the
regional Alliance of Sahel States.
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