A group linked to al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for an attack on Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The assault was carried out as a raid on the airport, one of the country's most sensitive government facilities. According to the group's own claim, 22 of its fighters were among those killed during the operation.
Niger's Minister of Defence confirmed the overall death toll, including the assailants who were neutralised, at 35 people. The figure was made up of 22 attackers, 11 soldiers and two civilians. The minister later gave assurances that Diori Hamani International Airport had been fully secured.
Residents said they had just finished their morning prayers when explosions and the sound of gunfire rang out from the direction of the airport. The sudden violence sent people seeking cover, and accounts from the area described a chaotic scene as the security forces responded.
The attack took place on Thursday, and the violence settled by the middle of the morning. Security forces subsequently launched a manhunt for any remaining attacker, working to determine whether all of those involved had been accounted for.
Niger's military authorities accused France of backing the attackers, claiming that armed mercenaries funded by the French president had attempted to storm the facility. The accusation was contained in a statement broadcast on state television, which said that some of the attackers were equipped with explosive belts and had arrived using civilian transport vehicles, including taxis, before being stopped by the security forces. France had yet to respond to the accusations.
Niger has been fighting an Islamist insurgency for a decade, with militant groups repeatedly targeting state and military assets. In January, an organisation linked to the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on the same airport, underlining how often the site has been in the crosshairs of armed groups operating in the wider Sahel region.