Gunmen attacked Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey on June 18, killing 11 Nigerien soldiers and 2 civilians, according to the country's defense ministry [2][6]. Security forces killed 22 of the assailants and arrested approximately 20 suspects, seizing a large weapons cache [2][8]. The al-Qaeda-affiliated Groupe de soutien à l'islam et aux musulmans (JNIM) described the operation as an «attaque-suicide» contre l'aéroport international Diori Hamani et la base militaire voisine (a suicide attack against Diori Hamani International Airport and the adjacent military base) [7][12]. Gunfire and explosions began around 6:00 a.m. local time and lasted nearly two hours, with security forces conducting sweep operations and sealing off the presidential palace and prime minister's office [1][3].
Lawalli Tsalha, a resident near the airport, told the BBC: "We finished our prayer at about 05:50 (04:50 GMT) and shortly afterwards we heard a loud bang — like something had exploded, perhaps a tyre. It was only a little later that we realised what was happening" [2]. Residents armed with sticks and machetes joined the manhunt for fleeing attackers in the surrounding neighborhoods [4].
Nigerien authorities stated that the attack was thwarted and the airport was fully secured and operational within hours [6][13][17]. African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf "strongly condemned" the assault and praised Nigerien forces whose actions "made it possible to repel the attack and secure the airport facilities" [2]. The framing of a successful defense contrasts with the fact that this was the second major assault on the same installation since January 2026, when an Islamic State-claimed attack targeted air command infrastructure and drone assets [3][4]. After the January breach, authorities demolished informal structures near the airport perimeter and added defensive measures, yet the June assault penetrated the facility again [3][4][8].
Beverly Ochieng, a senior security analyst at Control Risks, stated: "The symbolism of the airport as headquarters for AES will drive intent by militants to target it" [6]. The airport houses the joint military headquarters of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the confederation of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso that replaced their ties with ECOWAS [4][6].
The diplomatic fault line around the attacks runs between Niamey and Paris. After the January assault, Niger's junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani accused the presidents of France, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire of backing those responsible, calling it part of an «agenda pervers de déstabilisation» (perverse destabilization agenda) [9]. Tiani thanked Russia for its help in foiling that earlier attack [2]. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces rejected the accusation, describing it as «guerre informationnelle» (information warfare) [9]. The AES issued a statement after the January attack condemning what it called a «barbare et lâche» (barbaric and cowardly) act of destabilization and blaming foreign sponsors, without naming specific states [14].
Russian state media provided a distinct account of the January events. RIA Novosti reported that Moscow condemned the attack and expressed readiness to continue developing counterterrorism cooperation with the Sahel States Alliance [10]. Vedomosti reported that fighters from the Africa Corps, a unit of the Russian Ministry of Defense, directly participated in repelling the January assault alongside Nigerien forces, neutralizing approximately 40 militants [11]. No Russian sources in the dossier addressed the June 18 attack specifically, and no Western sources confirmed or disputed the Africa Corps' described role in the January defense [10][11].
Nigerien civil society organizations condemned the June attack as an «agression lâche et barbare» (cowardly and barbaric aggression) and reaffirmed what they described as unconditional support for the transitional authorities and security forces [15]. Algeria separately condemned the armed attack on Niamey airport, expressing concern for regional stability [16].
The two attacks — January and June — carry different claims of responsibility. The January assault was attributed to the Islamic State [1][3][4], while JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate, stated it carried out the June 18 operation [7][12]. The BBC noted that at the time of its initial reporting on June 18, no group had yet claimed responsibility [13]; JNIM's claim was subsequently reported by La Croix and France 24 Arabic [7][12]. The involvement of two rival jihadist organizations in successive attacks on the same target within six months places the airport at the intersection of competing militant campaigns.
The airport remained operational as of the evening of June 18, according to Nigerien authorities [6][13]. A large-scale security operation was reported to be underway in the surrounding area [8].