The Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey was struck by a terrorist assault on the morning of Thursday, 18 June 2026. The attack, claimed by the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims – Al-Qaeda’s Sahelian branch – left 11 soldiers, two civilians and 22 assailants dead, according to the official toll.
In a statement, the Confederation of Sahel States – which brings together Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso – condemned what it called a “cowardly and treacherous” aggression on the outskirts of Niamey’s main airport.
“Clearly, through the attempted takeover of Niamey Airport, the aim of this latest attack was to degrade the operational capabilities of the Nigerien armed forces and, consequently, reverse the current trend of terrorist groups being pushed back and regularly defeated on the battlefield,” the AES declared.
According to the alliance, this assault – which cost the lives of 11 soldiers and two civilians while killing 22 attackers – represents “another instance of terrorist violence backed by foreign state sponsors.”
The strike comes just months after a previous offensive in January 2026 against Niamey’s Air Base 101, located near the Diori Hamani International Airport. That episode sparked diplomatic tensions after Niger’s president, Abdourahamane Tiani, accused several foreign leaders of being involved in efforts to destabilise the country. Those allegations drew sharp reactions on the international stage.
In its communiqué, the Confederation of Sahel States insisted that such attacks will not derail its common security strategy. “Far from undermining the momentum driving the confederal dynamic, the repeated and orchestrated attacks only strengthen the sacred union of the sons and daughters of the AES around the vision of their Heads of State in their struggle to preserve the territorial integrity of member states, protect populations and guarantee lasting peace in the Sahelian space,” the AES leaders warned.
