Gunfire and explosions were reported across Niger’s capital, Niamey, early Saturday, including near the international airport and presidential palace, as residents awoke to heavy shooting and authorities offered few immediate details.
Two Reuters witnesses reported sustained gunfire in several parts of the city. A security source told Reuters that attackers had targeted Diori Hamani International Airport and attempted to breach the security perimeter around the presidency. The claims could not immediately be independently verified.
Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger’s Consultative Council and a deputy in the Alliance of Sahel States Parliament, said on Facebook that attackers had targeted Base 101 and that security forces had regained control.
“Another cowardly attack on Base 101 and once again our defence and security forces ensured … Situation under control,” Ibrahim wrote, according to AFP.
The Nigerien military government had not immediately issued an official statement or provided information on casualties. Security forces were conducting searches in the area, according to a security source cited by Reuters.
