Last Thursday, there was another attack on Niger’s main airport, the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey. In the early hours of the morning, inhabitants of the capital Niamey heard gunshots. This new wave of attacks by gunmen is said to have killed 11 soldiers and 2 civilians on the government side, while government forces repelled the attack and killed 22 assailants. According to the government statement read out on state television, 20 people were arrested and assorted weapons seized. A large cache of weapons including RPG-7 launchers, AK-47 rifles, explosives, grenades, communications equipment and thousands of rounds of ammunition were also reportedly seized. The assailants also mixed in with the local population to run from the government, but were caught by local residents who joined forces with soldiers to unearth them. And of course, foreign media were rejoicing and could not wait to tell us all about it. Let’s keep our countries in our heart all the time and remain strong! The enemy lurks, but we stay alert! We will never give up!

Excerpts below are from GBC Ghana Online.

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Gunmen launched a violent assault on the Diori Hamani International Airport, which serves the capital city of Niamey, Niger, in the early hours of Thursday, June 18, 2026. The attack shattered the morning calm with sustained gunfire and multiple explosions, prompting an urgent mobilization of national security forces. The incident began at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time (05:00 GMT), leading to a security standoff that lasted for nearly an hour, with intense fighting concentrated near the airport’s main gate. One local resident described the scene, noting, “I heard the first gunshots at 06:00 (05:00 local time) while I was at the mosque. But the current situation is under control.”

Government security forces acted with speed to repel the assailants after the facility’s perimeter was breached. By mid-morning, soldiers were conducting rigorous security checks on travelers and civilians along the roads surrounding the airport. While government authorities have yet to issue a formal statement, security sources confirmed that the army successfully neutralized the immediate threat and pushed back the gunmen. Reports indicate the fleeing attackers abandoned several weapons at the scene. These ongoing security challenges persist despite recent government measures to bolster defenses, which included the demolition of adjacent neighborhoods identified as “terrorist risks” and the installation of over 350 surveillance cameras to monitor the facility.

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