Niger Airport Attack: ISIL Claims Responsibility. Niamey, Niger — The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on an air force base at Niger’s main airport, according to the ISIL-affiliated Amaq News Agency.
The attack, described as a “surprise and coordinated “effort, took place at Diori Hamani International Airport near the capital, Niamey, and reportedly caused “significant damage, “though no further details were provided.
The military government, which seized power in a 2023 coup, reported that security forces killed 20 attackers following the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight on Thursday. Four army soldiers were wounded during the incident. Niger has been battling jihadist groups, including the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) and the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), in the west and southeast of the country for a decade.
The ISIL affiliate has been linked to high — profile attacks in Niger in recent months, including the deaths of over 120 people in the Tillaberi region in September and the abduction of a US pilot in October. Officials commented on the matter. Tiani also accused France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the attack, without offering any evidence.
Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, a spokesman for Benin’s government, rejected the allegations. “He is the only one to believe that nonsense,” he said on Friday. Niamey’s airport, located about 10 kilometers from the presidential palace, hosts military bases and the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force for battling armed groups.
The airport is also home to a large uranium stockpile at the center of a nationalization dispute with French state — affiliated nuclear company Orano. Further details are expected as the situation develops.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 4*
