Mutinous Soldiers Attack Airport, Palace in Niger's Capital
Security forces said they regained control after soldiers fired at sensitive sites and briefly took state television off air, officials said.
- On Saturday, sustained gunfire and explosions rocked Niamey, Niger's capital, as a security source reported that "terrorists" attacked Diori Hamani International Airport and attempted to breach the security perimeter around the presidency.
- Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger's Bureau of the Consultative Council, said attackers targeted Base 101, a major military installation, and that security forces regained control of the situation.
- A second security source told Reuters that attackers had been "neutralised" while others fled, though Reuters could not immediately verify the claims following search operations launched by security forces.
- General Abdourahamane Tiani's junta has governed Niger since ousting President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, while the nation joined Mali and Burkina Faso in the Alliance of Sahel States to counter Islamist insurgencies.
- Deadly attacks killed at least 44 civilians in Niger earlier in 2026, illustrating persistent Sahelian violence despite military rulers pledging to improve security against ongoing jihadi insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.
240 Articles
240 Articles
In Niger in West Africa there was apparently a coup attempt. Soldiers, according to the military junta, took officers in the capital as hostages and attacked strategic targets. Meanwhile, the uprising had ended.
Since the coup of 2023, the West African country of Niger has been ruled by a military junta. On Saturday, a section of the military turned against its leaders.
Niger Defense Chief: Soldiers Attempted Predawn Mutiny
A group of soldiers in Niger rebelled against officers at a key military base and fired at sensitive locations in the capital, Niamey, in an apparent mutiny, authorities said Saturday. Sustained gunfire and explosions were heard overnight into Saturday in the city, including at the main airport that houses the...
The mutineers kidnap comrades and try to reach the presidential palace, but are rejected by soldiers loyal to the government
The military regime in power in Niger claimed on Saturday to be "gradually regaining control" from mutineers who targeted several sites.
In Niamey, the capital of Niger, rebelling soldiers attacked critical points around the airport and the presidential palace. After hours of gunfire and explosions, the government announced that control of the presidential palace had been secured, but the situation around the airport remained unclear.
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