Dozens of gunmen launched a coordinated assault on Niger’s principal international airport in Niamey on Thursday, killing at least 35 people and wounding scores more in the deadliest attack on the country’s aviation infrastructure in decades. The assault, which lasted over three hours, involved heavy machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades, according to security sources.
The attack began at dawn when assailants breached the perimeter fence of Diori Hamani International Airport, targeting both military and civilian sections. Witnesses reported seeing armed men moving in small groups, firing indiscriminately at passengers waiting in departure lounges and at security personnel. A military cargo plane was destroyed on the tarmac, and several civilian aircraft sustained damage.
Interior minister Mamane Sani explained that the attackers were “well-trained and well-equipped”, suggesting links to regional jihadist groups. No group has claimed responsibility, but suspicion has fallen on factions of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, both active in the tri-border area of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
The attack marks a significant escalation in the Sahel’s security crisis. Niger has been a linchpin of Western counter-terrorism efforts in the region, hosting French and American special forces. However, the withdrawal of French troops from Mali and Burkina Faso has left a vacuum that jihadist groups have exploited. Niger’s own military, stretched by a coup in July 2023 and ongoing internal political turmoil, has struggled to maintain control of its borders.
International condemnation was swift. The United Nations Secretary General called the attack “a heinous act of terrorism” and reiterated the need for a coordinated international response. The African Union condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the Nigerien people. France, which still maintains a reduced presence in Niger, offered logistical support for the investigation.
For Niger’s civilian population, the attack underscores the fragility of security in a country already grappling with displacement and food insecurity. The airport has been closed indefinitely, and a curfew has been imposed in Niamey. Many residents expressed fear that the capital itself could become a target.
Analysts argue that the assault reveals a fundamental shift in jihadist strategy: from hit-and-run rural ambushes to direct assaults on high-value urban infrastructure. “This is a statement of intent,” said Professor Abou Doumbia, a security specialist at the University of Yaoundé. “They are demonstrating that no place is safe, not even a major international airport.”
Niger’s military junta, which seized power promising to restore order, now faces its gravest test. The government has vowed to “track down those responsible and bring them to justice”, but its capacity to do so remains questionable. The attack will likely accelerate calls for a rethink of the international community’s approach to the Sahel, where decades of counter-terrorism efforts have failed to stem the tide of violence.
