A coordinated assault by gunmen on Niger’s largest airport has left 35 people dead and triggered a security alert for British forces stationed in the Sahel. The attack, which unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday, targeted the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, the capital. Witnesses reported a barrage of heavy gunfire and explosions as assailants stormed the terminal and runways.
Among the victims were airport staff, passengers, and security personnel. Militants reportedly set fire to aircraft and facilities before being repelled by Nigerien troops. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) has claimed responsibility.
The British Ministry of Defence confirmed it heightened vigilance for its personnel in the region, where UK forces train local troops to combat jihadist insurgencies. For the people of Niger, this is the latest chapter in a relentless war that has killed thousands and displaced millions. For British soldiers, it is a grim reminder of the volatility they face.
The attack exposes the fragility of security in a region where poverty and extremism feed off each other.
