Gunmen Attack Niger Airport, Killing 11 Soldiers And 2 Civilians, Officials Say

DAKAR, Senegal — Gunmen attacked nan main airdrome successful Niger’s superior early Thursday, sidesplitting 11 soldiers and 2 civilians successful an speech of occurrence that besides near 22 of nan attackers dead, authorities said.

Niger’s Defense Ministry said successful a connection that nan onslaught successful Niamey was foiled and that 20 suspects were arrested on pinch weapons and ammunition.

Witnesses reported gunfire and explosions during nan attack, and an Associated Press journalist saw soldiers searching group connected nan roadworthy to nan airdrome successful nan aftermath of nan violence.

Hours later, nan National Civil Aviation Agency said nan airdrome was operating normally.

Niger, led by a subject junta since a 2023 coup, has struggled to incorporate deadly jihadi unit that has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali that are besides tally by subject juntas.

It was nan 2nd onslaught astatine Diori Hamani International Airport successful Niamey this year, aft nan Islamic State group claimed work for a akin onslaught successful January that targeted Niger’s drone assets.

The airdrome is simply a strategical hub that hosts a Nigerien aerial unit guidelines arsenic good arsenic nan office of nan associated subject unit betwixt Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.

The subject has beefed up nan airdrome information pursuing nan January attack, but jihadis successful Niger and nan wider region proceed to airs superior threats, analysts say.

“The symbolism of nan airdrome arsenic office for AES will thrust intent by militants to target it,” said Beverly Ochieng, a elder information expert astatine Control Risks, referring to nan location Alliance of Sahel States.

Mcmakin writes for The Associated Press.