Gunfire erupted early on Thursday at the airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey, residents told AFP, five months after a jihadist attack at the facility.
Niger has been ruled for the past three years by a military junta that has struggled to contain violence blamed on jihadists.
In January, the Diori Hamani international airport in Niamey and a military drone base were targeted in an attack claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS).
Nigerien armed forces and their Russian allies repelled the strike, which was a rare development since violence had previously been contained to other parts of the vast Sahel country.
“I heard the first shots around 6 o’clock (0500 GMT). The shooting was coming from the airport entrance,” a resident told AFP by telephone on Thursday.
He said firing was still ongoing two hours later.
Another resident confirmed the gunfire
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