Attack on Niamey airport claims 35 lives

The gunfire incident at Niger's Diori Hamani International Airport on Thursday, June 18, 2026, was the result of a coordinated suicide attack orchestrated by militants affiliated with al-Qaeda.

Reports from Al Jazeera and Reuters indicate that a group of heavily armed assailants arrived by taxi at approximately 6:00 AM local time and targeted a security checkpoint at the airport's entrance. This assault led to intense exchanges of gunfire, artillery fire, and numerous loud explosions that persisted for several hours as Nigerien security forces endeavored to repel the attackers.
The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which serves as the main branch of al-Qaeda in the Sahel, has officially claimed responsibility for the attack. Security analysts from The Washington Post have pointed out that the airport is a strategically significant hub, housing a major Nigerien air force base and serving as the headquarters for the joint military force of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), thus making it a symbolic and high-value target for regional jihadist groups.
Experts reported to Reuters that JNIM is engaged in an intensifying rivalry with the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP), which had previously targeted this same airport in January, prompting both factions to conduct aggressive operations to establish their dominance.

Officials confirmed to the BBC that the clash resulted in 35 fatalities. The death toll comprises 11 Nigerien soldiers, 2 civilians, and 22 militant assailants who were neutralized by military forces. By the afternoon, Niger’s defense ministry announced that the situation was fully under control. Security forces initiated a comprehensive manhunt around the airport's perimeter, and the National Civil Aviation Agency reported that normal commercial flight operations swiftly resumed.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(91)

Immediate Family of U.S. Citizens Qualifying for No-Quota Green Cards

Spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents of U.S. citizens (provided that the citizen sponsor is at least 21 years old) constitute the sole categories of immediate relatives eligibl...

25 Aug 4min

£2.5m paid for Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' ball

The football that Diego Maradona used to score his iconic 'hand of God' goal during the 1986 World Cup has been auctioned for £2.5m. Maradona infamously punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton ...

24 Aug 2min

Releasing Unredacted 1990s Files on Nigerian President Tinubu May Compromise Law Enforcement Techniques and Personal Safety - FBI

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has approved the FBI's request to submit a confidential declaration regarding its reasons for withholding certain records related to a 1990s invest...

23 Aug 4min

Daily Mail wins £9.5m from Prince Harry and six associates in UK court

A judge from the UK High Court has mandated that Prince Harry and six other prominent claimants pay an interim sum of £9.54 million ($13 million) to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL). This directive...

22 Aug 2min

Nigerian Airports: FAAN Denies Ban on Uber, Bolt

On August 20, 2026, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) officially stated that it has not enacted a comprehensive ban on e-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt.The authority issued a st...

20 Aug 1min

At least 107 artisanal miners have lost their lives due to a devastating gold mine collapse and subsequent landslide in the western Central

At least 107 artisanal miners have lost their lives due to a devastating gold mine collapse and subsequent landslide in the western Central African Republic (CAR).This tragic event took place on the m...

20 Aug 2min

Federal indictment accuses 11 in New York of operating 10-year marriage-fraud network

On August 12, 11 individuals from New York were arrested and arraigned by ICE Homeland Security Investigations along with its partners from the Homeland Security Task Force, in connection with a long-...

19 Aug 1min

FIFA dismisses COO Kevin Lamour after he publicly criticises Infantino’s World Cup commercialisation proposal

FIFA has officially sacked Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour following his public condemnation of President Gianni Infantino's controversial $20 billion tournament commercialisation scheme. In an i...

18 Aug 2min