Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard across parts of Niger’s capital, Niamey, early Saturday as security forces confronted attackers around key military and government installations.
The overnight violence was reported near Diori Hamani International Airport, Base 101 military installation and the area around the presidential palace. Niger’s state television, Télé Sahel, also temporarily went off air during the unrest.
Residents said the first shots were heard at about 1:00 a.m. local time and continued into the morning. Witnesses reported heavy gunfire around Base 101, while armoured military vehicles were seen moving towards areas near the airport.
A security source told Reuters that attackers had targeted the airport and attempted to breach the security perimeter around the presidential palace. Another source said security forces had launched search operations, with some attackers reportedly neutralised while others fled.
Niger’s defence authorities later described the incident as an attempted mutiny involving soldiers who attacked sensitive locations in the capital. Security forces were reported to have regained control of Base 101 and other key areas.
The state television signal was cut for more than an hour before reports indicated that broadcasting resumed at about 10:00 a.m. local time. During the disruption, residents reported that soldiers had restricted access to the presidential palace and the national television station.
The Nigerien military urged residents to remain calm and avoid circulating unverified information, saying defence and security forces had been mobilised to protect the country.
The incident adds to security concerns in Niger, which has been under military rule since the July 2023 coup that brought General Abdourahamane Tiani to power. The country continues to face attacks from jihadist groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
Niamey’s airport has already been targeted twice this year by jihadist groups — first by Islamic State in the Sahel in January and later by the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in June.
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