Security forces remained on high alert following recent armed attacks on crucial locations in Niamey, including Air Base 101 and the presidential palace.
During the night, several sectors of the capital registered sounds of gunfire, explosions, and heavy weaponry use, especially near Diori Hamani international airport, as reported by the Spanish agency EFE.
According to the Nigerien outlet ActuNiger, Defense and Security Forces were positioned at multiple strategic points and established security perimeters in the affected areas.
Nigerien authorities have not yet provided an official report on possible casualties nor identified those responsible for the attacks.
It is relevant to note that Diori Hamani airport and Air Base 101 have previously been targets of attacks: one in January 2026, claimed by the extremist group Islamic State, and another in June, attributed to a group linked to Al-Qaeda.
Niger is under the command of a military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, who assumed power after a coup d'état in July 2023.
The current incidents appear to have a greater magnitude than the January and June jihadist attacks, which were limited to the airport area and contained by the army within a few hours.
Around 09:00 (Lisbon time), residents of the capital informed the French agency AFP that a black screen replaced the programming of Télé Sahel, both online and via satellite.
Cited sources also reported that access to the presidency and national television was blocked by military personnel, who forced drivers to reverse.
In response to the ongoing events, the military regime released a message on its official social media channels asking for calm and requesting that unverified information be avoided, adding that the defense and security forces were mobilized to protect the homeland.
Residents reported that the intense gunfire and detonations at Base 101 began during the night, around 01:00. A resident interviewed by phone mentioned hearing bursts of gunfire after 07:00, observing a military vehicle heading to the base, and commenting that the weaponry was not compatible with what terrorists on motorcycles would carry, adding that the confrontations had been continuous since the night.
Base 101, located within the airport complex, houses the headquarters of Russian partners in Niamey, the Africa Corps. Furthermore, it serves as the headquarters of the joint staff of the Sahel Alliance force, to which Niger belongs along with Burkina Faso and Mali.
This location holds great strategic importance, as between December and January it received a significant shipment of uranium concentrate intended for export; as of yet, there is no record of this cargo's movement.
Since the mid-2010s, Niger has faced the jihadist threat, as have its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali. Lethal attacks against civilians and military personnel remain frequent in the country, particularly in the Tillabéri region, on the border with Mali and Burkina Faso.
The three countries, all governed by military juntas, formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and distanced themselves from France, their former key partner in the counter-terrorism fight, seeking closer ties with Russia. The Niamey junta frequently accuses the former colonial power of funding jihadists with the intent to destabilize it, an allegation that Paris denies.