ByREUTERS

Sustained gunfire and loud blasts were heard early on Thursday near Niamey International Airport in Niger, according to a Reuters witness.

The heavy gunfire, which began nearly an hour earlier, was ongoing as of 00:12 a.m., the witness said.

A video shared on social media platform X/Twitter appeared to show the city's night skyline illuminated by gunfire, though Reuters has not independently verified the footage.

A spokesperson for Niger's military government, which seized power in a July 2023 coup, was not immediately available for comment.

The Sahel West African nation, like neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, has struggled to contain attacks from jihadist groups with links to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which have killed thousands and displaced millions in the three nations.

Nigerien security forces prepare to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023.
Nigerien security forces prepare to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Souleymane Ag Anara)

Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists kill at least 10 soldiers in Niger, sources say

Terrorists from the al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) killed at least 10 soldiers in an attack in western Niger in November.

The soldiers were attacked close to the village of Garbougna in the Tillaberi region near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso, three sources told Reuters at the time.

The tri-border region is known as a hub of jihadist activity in West Africa linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.