Niger’s security forces spent several hours Thursday morning battling unidentified gunmen at Diori Hamani International Airport in the country’s capital, Niamey.
Officials say the fighting began with the attack at 6:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and lasted until mid-morning. There were reports of firing and explosions throughout the area.
The gunmen are said to have breached airport security at the location – which also houses the headquarters of Niger’s air force and the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali joint military force tasked with fighting the jihadists.
Rebellion roils Sahel nations
The three neighboring countries are led by military juntas and all have struggled to make gains against Islamist insurgents such as Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for an airport attack in January that targeted Niger’s drone assets.
Niger and allied Russian forces killed 20 gunmen in foiling the January attack. Four Niger soldiers were injured.
On Thursday, witnesses reported seeing security forces chasing the gunmen through various neighborhoods of the capital, as residents armed with sticks and knives joined the hunt.
Authorities in the capital recently demolished thousands of illegally built homes near the airport, claiming that the settlements had been infiltrated by Islamists.
Edited by: Zack Crellin