TRT Afrika reports that a burst of heavy gunfire and explosions erupted shortly after midnight near Niger’s main international airport in the capital, Niamey, terrifying residents and briefly shattering the city’s calm.
Explosions rocked Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Thursday, followed by gunfire near the city’s main international airport.
TRT Afrika reports that a burst of heavy gunfire and explosions erupted shortly after midnight near Niger’s main international airport in the capital, Niamey, terrifying residents and briefly shattering the city’s calm.
Videos filmed by locals showed streaks of light tearing across the night sky, accompanied by thunderous blasts. Other footage circulating online captured flames rising several metres high and multiple vehicles burned and charred.
Residents in neighbourhoods close to Diori Hamani International Airport said the shooting lasted for roughly two hours before subsiding. By around 2 AM, calm had largely returned, according to residents, while several reported hearing sirens as fire trucks moved towards the airport area in the early morning hours.
The airport, located about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the presidential palace, houses an air force base and serves as a military facility. It is also the headquarters of a joint force formed by Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali to combat terrorist groups operating across the Sahel.
Authorities have not announced what triggered the incident or whether there were casualties.
Niger has been under military rule since 2023, following the overthrow of the country’s elected civilian government by General Abdourahamane Tiani. The country has since expelled French and US forces that previously assisted in counterterrorism operations.
Separately, a pro-government online activist, Ibrahim Bana, posted a video on Facebook calling on residents to take to the streets to “defend the country”.
The incident comes amid ongoing security challenges. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), nearly 2,000 people were killed in Niger in 2025 in attacks linked to terrorist groups.
Reports have also indicated that a large uranium shipment with an undisclosed buyer, transported from northern Niger in late November, has been at the airport for several weeks.