Heavy gunfire and explosions broke out early Thursday near Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, before subsiding within hours, residents told AFP. Videos from the area showed streaks of light in the sky, loud blasts, and flames several metres high, with some cars charred.

The airport, which houses an air force base, is located about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the presidential palace. According to locals, the shooting began shortly after midnight and calm returned roughly two hours later. Sirens from fire trucks heading toward the airport were also reported.

It remains unclear what triggered the incident or whether there were any casualties. An online activist supportive of the military rule, Ibrahim Bana, urged citizens to take to the streets to “defend the country.”

Niger has been led by Abdourahamane Tiani, head of a junta that overthrew the elected civilian government in 2023. The country, frequently targeted by jihadist attacks, is also home to a joint force with Burkina Faso and Mali aimed at combating regional insurgencies. Since the junta assumed power, French and US forces assisting Niger have been expelled, and a 5,000-strong military force under the Alliance of Sahel States has been established.

Conflict monitoring group ACLED reports that nearly 2,000 people were killed in jihadist violence in Niger in 2025. The airport has also been holding a large uranium shipment since late November, with the buyer unknown.