Gunmen attacked Niger’s largest airport on Thursday, June 18, 2026, killing 35 people in the second assault on the strategic facility in less than five months, officials said.
The death toll at Diori Hamani international airport in the capital, Niamey, comprised 22 assailants, 11 soldiers, and two civilians, according to Niger’s defense ministry. The al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack Thursday evening.
Residents in the predominantly Muslim area told the BBC that explosions and gunfire erupted around 5:50 a.m. local time (4:50 a.m. GMT), shortly after early morning prayers had concluded. Lawalli Tsalha, who lives near the airport, said he initially mistook the first blast for an exploding tire before realizing what was happening.
The violence subsided by mid-morning, and security forces launched a manhunt for any remaining attackers. Authorities said four attackers were wounded and 20 suspects were arrested. A large cache of weapons was seized, including rocket-propelled grenade launchers, assault rifles, explosives, grenades, communications equipment, and thousands of ammunition rounds.
Local residents carrying weapons participated in the search, though witnesses told the BBC that officials tried to prevent civilians from taking part. One unnamed resident described how the attackers blended into the local population, making identification difficult. “Civilians picked up machetes and sticks to defend themselves and to strike anyone they did not recognise who came their way,” the resident said.
The airport vicinity remained locked down Thursday afternoon, with security personnel inspecting vehicles coming in and out of the zone. By evening, the National Civil Aviation Agency announced the airport was operating normally.
In a televised statement, the defense ministry blamed “armed mercenaries” for the attack, claiming they were sponsored by France without providing evidence. France had not immediately commented on the accusation.
The military government, which seized power in a July 2023 coup, has frosty relations with France and regularly accuses it of trying to destabilize Niger, which Paris denies. After the coup, French troops stationed in Niger were expelled and Russian military contractors arrived as replacements.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf strongly condemned the assault and praised Nigerien forces, saying their quick response enabled them to stop the attackers and protect the airport.
Diori Hamani international airport represents a critical security location for Niger, functioning as a civilian airport while also serving military purposes. The site houses operations for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which comprises Niger and its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso. Military juntas govern all three nations, having seized control following unsuccessful efforts to combat prolonged jihadist attacks in the area.
Niger has been fighting an Islamist insurgency for a decade. In January 2026, militants affiliated with the Islamic State claimed they carried out an assault on the same airport that injured four military personnel and killed 20 attackers, according to Niger’s defense ministry. That attack targeted Niger’s drone assets.
At the time, General Abdourahamane Tiani, who has led Niger’s military government for three years, expressed gratitude to Russia for assistance in stopping the attack. He also accused the presidents of France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of backing those responsible, without providing details of what help Russia had provided or evidence to support his accusations against the other countries.
In early June 2026, authorities in Niger demolished neighborhoods near the airport, citing “terrorist risks.” They have also extended the airport’s perimeter fence and installed more than 350 surveillance cameras, according to AFP.
Beverly Ochieng, a senior security analyst at Control Risks, said the symbolism of the airport as headquarters for the AES alliance will continue to drive militant intent to target it. Jihadis in Niger and the wider Sahel region continue to pose serious threats, analysts say.
The airport serves as the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali joint military force and remains a strategic hub for the three junta-led nations. Despite beefed-up security measures following the January attack, Thursday’s violence demonstrated the persistent security challenges facing the military government.
An Associated Press journalist saw soldiers searching people on the road to the airport in the aftermath of the violence. Deadly jihadi violence has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region for years, with Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali all struggling to contain the insurgencies despite turning to Russian military contractors for assistance.
