Attack on Niamey airport claims 35 lives

The gunfire incident at Niger's Diori Hamani International Airport on Thursday, June 18, 2026, was the result of a coordinated suicide attack orchestrated by militants affiliated with al-Qaeda.Reports from Al Jazeera and Reuters indicate that a group of heavily armed assailants arrived by taxi at approximately 6:00 AM local time and targeted a security checkpoint at the airport's entrance. This assault led to intense exchanges of gunfire, artillery fire, and numerous loud explosions that persisted for several hours as Nigerien security forces endeavored to repel the attackers.The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which serves as the main branch of al-Qaeda in the Sahel, has officially claimed responsibility for the attack. Security analysts from The Washington Post have pointed out that the airport is a strategically significant hub, housing a major Nigerien air force base and serving as the headquarters for the joint military force of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), thus making it a symbolic and high-value target for regional jihadist groups.Experts reported to Reuters that JNIM is engaged in an intensifying rivalry with the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP), which had previously targeted this same airport in January, prompting both factions to conduct aggressive operations to establish their dominance.Officials confirmed to the BBC that the clash resulted in 35 fatalities. The death toll comprises 11 Nigerien soldiers, 2 civilians, and 22 militant assailants who were neutralized by military forces. By the afternoon, Niger’s defense ministry announced that the situation was fully under control. Security forces initiated a comprehensive manhunt around the airport's perimeter, and the National Civil Aviation Agency reported that normal commercial flight operations swiftly resumed.