Niger’s military authorities have launched a sweeping security operation in and around Niamey after a deadly assault on Diori Hamani International Airport left at least 11 soldiers and two civilians dead, with dozens more wounded.

The attack, claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, or JNIM, began at dawn when gunmen reportedly arrived by taxi at a security checkpoint near the airport entrance. According to security sources, they were met with fierce resistance, triggering hours of gunfire that echoed across nearby neighbourhoods.

Some of the assailants were said to be wearing explosive belts, and officials described the incident as a coordinated suicide operation targeting both the airport and an adjacent military base. The defence ministry said around 22 attackers were killed, while others fled into surrounding districts, prompting house-to-house searches and roadblocks across the capital.

A military statement announced a large-scale operation to track down and neutralise the remaining fighters, insisting the airport is fully secure and remains open to air traffic. Nonetheless, flight-tracking data showed several inbound flights diverted or delayed as the situation unfolded.

Residents described scenes of fear and defiance. One witness said the first shots rang out shortly after sunrise from the direction of the main checkpoint. A motorbike-taxi driver reported that some locals joined security forces in combing the streets, “hunting down bandits with sticks and machetes.” Authorities later confirmed about 20 suspects had been arrested.

The assault has renewed scrutiny of Niger’s counterterrorism strategy and airport security. The same complex, which also hosts a sensitive military drone base and key uranium shipments, was targeted earlier this year in an attack claimed by the Islamic State in the Sahel. That incident, repelled by Nigerien troops and Russian allies, left 20 assailants dead and four soldiers wounded.

In response to the earlier attack, the junta led by General Abdourahamane Tiani ordered the demolition of thousands of informal homes around the airport, citing fears that jihadists had infiltrated nearby shantytowns. The perimeter fence was extended and more than 350 security cameras installed, yet analysts say the latest assault exposes persistent vulnerabilities and possible insider leaks.

The European Union and African Union have condemned the violence, which underscores the deepening insecurity across Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, where military juntas are battling entrenched insurgencies linked to both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.