Sustained gunfire and explosions rocked several parts of Niger’s capital, Niamey, in what security sources described as an attack on a military base, the international airport and the area around the presidential palace.
Witnesses told Reuters that heavy shooting broke out early Saturday, especially around Diori Hamani International Airport and Base 101, a major military installation.
One source said attackers had struck the airport and tried to breach the security perimeter around the presidency.
Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger’s Consultative Council, said the assailants had targeted Base 101 but that security forces had brought the situation under control.
A Nigerian living in Niamey said the gunfire and blasts near the presidential palace began after 1am and lasted two to three hours, leaving residents in panic, while officials said some attackers were neutralised and others fled.
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