Heavy Gunfire, Explosions Rock Niger’s Niamey Near Airport, Residents Report

Heavy Gunfire, Explosions Rock Niger’s Niamey Near Airport, Residents Report

Niamey, Niger — January 29, 2026: Residents in Niger’s capital reported hearing heavy gunfire and loud explosions near Diori Hamani International Airport late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning, in an incident that has raised fresh security concerns in the West African nation.

According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the intense bursts of automatic weapons fire and powerful blasts began shortly after midnight (around 2300 GMT) and continued for roughly two hours before subsiding. Videos circulating on social media showed streaks of light and flashes across the night sky near the airport, although the authenticity of some footage is still being verified.

Local residents said the gunfire and explosions occurred around the Diori Hamani International Airport, a strategic site that is also home to a Nigerien Air Force base, a drone base, and the headquarters of a joint force formed by Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali to counter jihadist groups operating across the Sahel. (Boursorama)

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By early Thursday, the situation appeared to have calmed, with military camps in Niamey placed on alert and normalcy returning to many neighbourhoods near the airport, officials and residents said. As of now, no official statement has been released by the Nigerien government or airport authorities, and there has been no confirmation of casualties or material damage.

Authorities have yet to clarify what sparked the incident, leaving the cause — whether militant attack, military operation, air defence activity against drones, or other security confrontation — uncertain. Despite that, the episode highlights the ongoing insecurity in Niger and the wider Sahel region, where extremist groups such as those linked to al‑Qaeda and Islamic State have carried out frequent attacks on military and civilian targets. (Boursorama)

This is not the first time gunfire has been heard near strategic installations in Niamey; the country has experienced bouts of instability in recent years amid coups, insurgent threats and changing security dynamics in the region. The absence of a formal explanation has prompted concern among residents and analysts alike about the capacity of authorities to contain sudden outbreaks of violence. (GOV.UK)

Heavy Gunfire, Explosions Rock Niger’s Niamey Near Airport, Residents Report