Niamey – Niger’s Defense Ministry has announced that 11 soldiers and two civilians were killed in an initial toll from an attack targeting Diori Hamani International Airport in the capital Niamey on Thursday. The al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin claimed responsibility for the operation.

According to a statement broadcast on national television, the ministry said that 22 attackers were also killed and about 20 suspects arrested. Four members of the defense and security forces were wounded.

The armed forces are continuing large-scale sweeps around the airport and nearby areas to track down those involved and prevent further threats. Authorities confirmed that Diori Hamani Airport is now fully secured. Air traffic has returned to normal after the situation was contained. Officials assured residents and travelers that the vital facility is safe.

Eyewitnesses reported that shooting began early in the morning near the airport’s main gate and a security checkpoint, before clashes spread to the area around the nearby military base. Later, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, through its media outlet, announced that it had attacked both the airport and the adjacent military base.

The Nigerien army deployed additional reinforcements to neighborhoods surrounding the airport, particularly along Changa Road, where extensive searches were carried out for suspects. The security alert caused temporary disruption to passenger traffic, but authorities later declared that full control had been restored to the area.