Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for the attack on Niamey airport in Niger

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

Al-Qaeda's West Africa branch claimed responsibility for attack The attack targeted the airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, and a nearby military airbase, resulting in deaths among security forces and civilians, and highlighting the growing security challenges facing the Sahel region.

The al-Qaeda-linked group “Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin” claimed responsibility for the attack that occurred on Thursday morning, through a statement published by its official media arm, “Al-Zallaqa Foundation.”.

13 victims as a result of the attack

The Nigerien government had previously confirmed that the attack resulted in the death of 11 members of the security forces and two civilians, noting that government forces were able to repel the attackers and kill 22 of them, in addition to arresting about 20 people and confiscating quantities of weapons.

According to eyewitnesses, the attack began around 6 a.m. local time and lasted for more than two hours, before security forces were able to regain control of the site.

This is the second attack targeting the Niamey airport complex this year, after the site was attacked last January by the Sahel branch of ISIS, known as the "Islamic State's Sahel Province".

The conflict between al-Qaeda and ISIS has escalated.

The attack comes amid escalating competition between the “Support for Islam and Muslims” group and the “Sahel Province” organization, which are vying for influence and dominance in the African Sahel region.

Data from specialists in conflict monitoring indicate that clashes between the two organizations since 2019 have resulted in the deaths of more than two thousand people, while Niger witnessed the first direct clashes between the two sides on its territory during the past months.

Security analysts believe that the repeated attacks on strategic targets, such as airports and military bases, reflect the expanding scope of armed groups’ activities and their pursuit of strikes with significant media and military impact.

Simultaneous attacks on military bases

In a parallel development, security sources reported that gunmen launched coordinated attacks on two military bases in the Tillaberi region in the west of the country on Wednesday.

Sources indicated that at least 10 soldiers were killed and more than 40 others were wounded at the Panibango base, while there were reports of government forces withdrawing from the Inates base following the attack, without any official confirmation regarding the final extent of the losses.

The connection between these attacks and the operation that targeted Niamey airport is not yet clear, nor have full details been revealed about the extent of the damage to the military facilities inside the air complex.

Government: The situation is under control

Nigerien authorities confirmed that the security situation in the capital has returned to normal after the operation ended, stressing that security forces are continuing search and pursuit operations in the vicinity of the targeted area.

Niger's Civil Aviation Authority also announced the resumption of air traffic and airport operations as normal, hours after the attack ended.

Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, is facing a steady escalation in attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, at a time when governments in the region are struggling to contain security threats that have killed thousands and displaced millions of people in recent years.