11 soldiers killed, 22 terrorists dead in Niger airport attack

Early Thursday morning, armed militants attacked the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital. Eleven soldiers and 22 terrorists were killed in the assault, according to a preliminary report from the country's military government. Two civilians also lost their lives.

The attack began near the airport's main entrance. Security forces sealed off the area and placed the entire capital on maximum alert. The Nigerien army eventually repelled the attackers, who abandoned a cache of weapons as they fled. Military units are now sweeping surrounding areas to hunt down the remaining assailants.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The military government hasn't yet issued an official statement. But this isn't the first time the airport has been hit. In January this year, a similar incident occurred at the same facility.

During that January attack, militants affiliated with the Islamic State in the Sahel (IS-Sahel) launched a multi-axis assault using motorcycles, mortars, and drones. They targeted both the civilian terminal and the adjacent Air Base 101, a critical strategic hub for Niger's military operations. Nigerien forces, backed by Russian Africa Corps fighters, eventually killed several militants and captured others. But the attackers destroyed several military aircraft and heavily damaged multiple commercial planes on the tarmac.

Niger has been battling a sophisticated militant Islamist insurgency for over a decade. Like its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger is ruled by a military junta that seized power promising to end the widespread regional violence. The country sits at the heart of a complex, multi-front war against violent extremism that has destabilised the broader Sahel region since the mid-2010s.

Niger faces distinct insurgent threats. In the west, near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso, it fights IS-Sahel and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM. In the southeast, near Lake Chad, it battles Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The January attack was carried out by IS-Sahel, and suspicion for Thursday's assault falls on the same group.

For Nigeria, the attack is a reminder of the shared security challenges across the Sahel. Niger is a key partner in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Lake Chad region. Any destabilisation in Niger could affect security along Nigeria's northern border. The Nigerian government will be watching closely.