By Maryam Shuaibu
Gunfire broke out early Thursday near the international airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, raising fresh security concerns months after a major jihadist attack targeted the facility.
Residents told AFP that the shooting began around 6:00 a.m. local time and appeared to be coming from the entrance of the airport.
One resident said the gunfire continued for several hours, while another confirmed that the sounds were coming from the vicinity of the airport’s main access point.
Authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
The latest security scare comes several months after Niger’s Diori Hamani International Airport was targeted in an unprecedented attack claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS).
The January assault was repelled by Nigerien security forces with support from allied Russian fighters.
The attack marked a significant escalation in the activities of jihadist groups, as previous attacks had largely been concentrated in other parts of the country rather than the capital.
Following the incident, authorities demolished thousands of illegally constructed houses in a densely populated neighbourhood located near the airport.
Officials said investigations showed that jihadist elements had infiltrated the area and used it to support the attack on the airport facility.
Niger has faced persistent security challenges for more than a decade due to the activities of armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The country, located in the Sahel region of West Africa, remains one of several nations battling insurgency, terrorism and cross-border armed violence.
Security agencies have not yet disclosed the cause of Thursday’s gunfire or whether it was linked to any militant activity.
Further details are expected as investigations continue.