Gunfire and blasts reported near Niger presidential palace and airport in Niamey

NIAMEY, Niger — Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard across multiple areas of the Nigerien capital early Saturday, including near the presidential palace and Diori Hamani International Airport, two security sources told Reuters. A security source said "terrorists" had targeted the airport and attempted to breach the security perimeter around the presidential building. Bana Wajana Ibrahim, a member of the consultative council of the Alliance of Sahel States parliamentary assembly, said on social media that the 101st Base, a major military installation in Niamey, had also been targeted, but that security forces had regained control. A second security source told Reuters that a search operation was under way, with some attackers killed and others fleeing. A Reuters correspondent reported intense and sustained gunfire around the presidential palace and renewed shooting near Niamey airport. The Nigerien military government had not issued a statement as of publication. The army, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has ruled the country since the July 2023 coup that ousted Mohamed Bazoum.