Gunfire and loud blasts have been heard at the main airport in the Nigerien capital of Niamey, according to Reuters news agency and an independent source.
The apparent explosions were reported just after midnight, a witness told Reuters.
The airport is next to Base Aérienne 101, a military base previously used by American and then Russian troops.
An independent source with the Togolese airline Asky said gunshots caused several holes in the fuselage of its two planes on the tarmac of Niamey airport. Staff were at their hotel at the time but remained stranded in the country.
“They destroyed both aircraft … they left evidence at the scene,” the source said.
It remains unclear who fired the shots or whether there were any casualties. Authorities in Niger are yet to comment on the developing situation.
In July 2023, Niger’s presidential guard, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, overthrew the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, marking the seventh successful coup in West and Central Africa in three years at that point. There have been at least one successful coup and two failed attempts in the region since the Niger coup.
The junta,which accused Bazoum of being a French lackey to milk the country’s natural resources for the enjoyment of Paris and impoverishment of his countrymen, suspended the constitution and faced international condemnation and aid cuts.
After the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions and threatened military intervention, Niger withdrew from the regional bloc alongside Mali and Burkina Faso – both also under military rule – to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023.
Niger also expelled French and US forces, signalling a geopolitical realignment away from former traditional allies.
The country is still grappling with jihadism, as armed groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliates continue to attack the tri-border region with Mali and Burkina Faso in particular.
The security situation has deteriorated significantly since the coup despite the junta’s promises to restore stability.
The Global Terrorism Index 2025 reports that Niger recorded the largest increase in terrorism deaths globally in 2024, rising by 94% to a total of 930 deaths, the country’s worst ranking since the index began.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Gen. Tchiani.
