Niger: after the gunfire at Niamey airport, flights are continuing as normal.

Despite these events, air operations continue normally at the airport. In a note addressed to airport service managers, the director general of the National Civil Aviation Agency, Colonel-Major Hamadou Ousseini Ibrahim, requested the maintenance of continuity of services at Diori Hamani International Airport.

“Following the events that occurred today, June 18, 2026, at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, I inform you that activities related to air operations continue normally across the airport platform,” states the note from ANAC. The document also asks the various relevant structures to ensure the continuity of their respective services.

The first detonations were reported shortly after midnight in the airport area, located on the outskirts of Niamey. According to security sources cited by TamTam Infos, a group of assailants reportedly arrived on a bus before opening fire on police officers stationed at the airport roundabout. For more than an hour, residents reported hearing sustained gunfire and repeated explosions. Glows were also seen in the night sky, according to amateur videos shared by several local media.

A local security source cited by the Associated Press indicated that security forces were deployed to repel the assailants after a breach in the airport’s security perimeter. The identity of the alleged perpetrators was not immediately known.

Services maintained, security reinforced

After the gunfire, security forces reinforced their presence around Diori Hamani International Airport. Access points were reportedly blocked, with checks on certain routes leading to the infrastructure. At dawn, military personnel were still visible in the area, particularly on the roads near the site.

ANAC emphasizes in its note the need to ensure strict and rigorous compliance with all safety measures. This instruction comes as air operations are maintained across the airport platform.

Diori Hamani Airport also houses a base for the Nigerien military. Available information does not yet allow for precise determination of the facilities directly targeted or affected. No specific material damage has been officially reported by Nigerien authorities.

In the hours following the incident, no claims had been made public. Authorities have also not communicated any human toll or provided a detailed version of the exact nature of the event. Therefore, available information currently relies on testimonies from nearby residents, security sources cited by the media, as well as the note from ANAC confirming the normal continuation of air operations.

A second attack this year

This new attack comes a few months after a previous assault on Diori Hamani International Airport. In January 2026, a similar attack was claimed by the Islamic State group. Niamey Airport, due to its dual civil and military purpose, constitutes a strategic site for Nigerien authorities.

Niger continues to face a persistent security threat, particularly in the context of instability affecting several countries in the Sahel. Since the coup d’état in 2023, Nigerien military authorities have claimed to prioritize the fight against armed groups in a regional environment marked by a rise in attacks in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

At this stage, Nigerien authorities assure that the situation is under control. However, several areas of uncertainty remain, particularly regarding the identity of the assailants, potential human casualties, material damage, and the exact circumstances of this new attack on Niamey Airport.