Attackers target Niger’s Niamey airport and presidency perimeter, sources say

Sustained gunfire and explosions rang out across several areas of Niger’s capital, Niamey, early on Saturday.
Shots were heard around the city’s Diori Hamani International Airport, and near the presidential palace, one witness said.
“There have been exchanges of heavy gunfire.
The shooting is continuing around the (presidential) palace,” the second witness said. Niger has been ruled by the military since a July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
The military government, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, has since turned away from traditional Western allies and forged closer ties with Russia, mirroring military-led governments in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso.
The three West African Sahel states have formed a security and political alliance after their juntas seized power in a wave of coups across the region.