Explosions and gunfire heard at airport in Niger's capital Niamey
Key takeaways
- Gunfire and explosions were heard at the airport in Niger's capital Niamey early Thursday, according to witnesses, and security forces had blocked off the area, residents said.
- By: FRANCE 24 Handout satellite image taken by 2026 Planet Labs PBC on January 29, 2026 shows the Niamey airport in Niger.
- The first explosions occurred at around 6am local time (0500 GMT) and sporadic gunfire was still audible nearly two hours later, the Reuters witness said.
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Gunfire and explosions were heard at the airport in Niger's capital Niamey early Thursday, according to witnesses, and security forces had blocked off the area, residents said.
By: FRANCE 24 Handout satellite image taken by 2026 Planet Labs PBC on January 29, 2026 shows the Niamey airport in Niger. © Planet Labs PBC handout via AFP Explosions and sustained gunfire that lasted more than an hour were heard early Thursday morning at the airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, and security forces had blocked off the area, a Reuters witness and two residents said.
The first explosions occurred at around 6am local time (0500 GMT) and sporadic gunfire was still audible nearly two hours later, the Reuters witness said.