US EditionHeavy gunfire and blasts heard near airport in Niger's capital
Heavy gunfire and explosions near Niamey airport lasted about two hours with calm restored by morning amid investigations into possible links to a uranium shipment, officials said.
- On Thursday, sustained heavy gunfire and loud explosions were heard near Diori Hamani International Airport shortly after midnight; the airport houses an air force base about 10km from the presidential palace.
- With the cause unclear, authorities said it is not clear what caused the blasts or if there were casualties, and they are trying to determine whether the gunfire was linked to a huge uranium shipment stuck amid complications with France.
- Multiple eyewitness videos showed air-defence systems engaging unidentified projectiles early Thursday, and a Foreign Affairs ministry official said, `There is no need to worry,` while authorities investigate links to the shipment.
- Calm returned after two hours, and an official said the situation was under control following the overnight gunfire near Niamey International Airport.
- The incident came against a backdrop of Niger's military government fighting jihadist groups like Burkina Faso and Mali, while a major uranium shipment remains stuck amid legal disputes with France.
46 Articles
46 Articles
On Thursday, shortly after midnight, shots and explosions shook the area around the capital airport in Niger. Possibly, the shots were part of an attack on a special unit to combat terrorism. Videos taken by the locals show patrol lights in the night sky of the capital of Niger. In addition, explosions can be heard on the recordings. On other pictures there were meter-high flames and charred cars to be seen. According to the locals, after the sh…
Gunfire, explosions rock Niger Republic airport
Gunshots and loud explosions of unknown origin were heard late on Wednesday night around the Niamey International Airport in Niger Republic. The incident was disclosed in a post on X on Thursday by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security expert in Lake Chad region. Makama said he was informed by local sources that the airport area was the scene of violence, with heavy detonations and sustained gunfire reported in the vicinity. Accordi…
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