Attacks target presidential palace and airport in Niger capital: Reuters

Two Reuters witnesses reported sustained gunfire and explosions in several areas of Niamey, the capital of Niger, early Saturday, though the cause remains unclear.

A security source told Reuters that "terrorists" attacked Diori Hamani International Airport and attempted to breach the security perimeter around the presidential residence.

Bana Wajana Ibrahim, a member of Niger's advisory council and a parliamentarian in the Sahel States Alliance, wrote on Facebook that the attackers targeted Base 101, a major military facility in Niamey, but security forces regained control.

"Another cowardly attack on Base 101, and once again our defense and security forces have confirmed the situation is under control," Ibrahim wrote.

Reuters has not yet been able to independently verify the statements made by the security source and Ibrahim.

A second security source told Reuters that security forces conducted searches and that some attackers had been "neutralized," while others fled. The second Reuters witness reported heavy, continuous gunfire around the presidential palace.

The first witness said gunfire resumed near Niamey International Airport at around 02:13 GMT. There has been no immediate comment from Niger's military government.

Niger has been under military rule since a July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Since then, the military government, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, has distanced itself from traditional Western allies and forged closer ties with Russia, following the example of military regimes in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.

The three West African Sahel countries have formed a security and political alliance after their military councils seized power in a wave of coups across the region.

All three continue to battle armed insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, despite pledges by their military rulers to improve security.

The unrest comes as Niger's military council tightens its grip on the uranium sector, having seized assets from French company Orano. Last week, the government reassigned uranium mining licenses previously held by Orano and Goviex to state-backed firms, according to an official decree.

Niger was a key supplier of nuclear fuel to Europe, accounting for about 15 percent of Orano's uranium supply at full capacity, before the military council seized the company's assets around 2024.

Deadly attacks have continued in Niger this year, including the killing of at least 44 civilians in the southwest in March and an attack near Niamey International Airport in January.