Niger: Gunmen attack airport, military airbase, kill 11 security guards in Niamey 

Gunmen on Thursday attacked an airport and military air base in Niamey, Niger’s capital, killing 11 security personnel and two civilians.

The attack, which began at about 6:00 a.m., triggered explosions and sporadic gunfire that lasted for about two hours around the airport.

“Everything is under control,” the government said in a statement.

Niger’s civil aviation agency, in a separate statement, said normal operations had resumed at the airport.

No group has claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack.

The government said its forces repelled the assault, killing 22 suspected attackers, arresting 20 others, and recovering assorted weapons.

It added that 11 security personnel and two civilians were among those killed in the attack.

However, Niger has battled jihadist insurgencies for years, with attacks largely concentrated in the country’s western and southeastern regions. 

Armed groups linked to the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Boko Haram have continued to attack military and civilians.