Islamic State claims attack on Niger air base, 4 soldiers wounded, 20 militants killed

The Islamic State extremist group on Friday claimed responsibility for a coordinated assault on an air force base near Niger’s international airport in the capital Niamey, leaving four soldiers wounded and damaging an aircraft, highlighting the growing security crisis in Africa’s Sahel region.

The claim was issued through Amaq News Agency, the organisation’s propaganda platform, which described the operation as a “surprise and coordinated attack.” Niger state television said the assault began shortly after midnight on Thursday and continued for nearly two hours, with loud explosions reported near Diori Hamani International Airport .

Military officials said Nigerien forces repelled the attackers, killing at least 20 militants and detaining 11 suspects. One aircraft parked on the airport tarmac was hit by gunfire, sustaining damage to its fuselage and right wing, according to Air Côte d’Ivoire .

Video clips shared online showed blasts and plumes of smoke rising from the airport complex. State television also reported that one of the attackers was a French national, though no independent verification was provided.

In the wake of the assault, the United States ordered the evacuation of nonessential embassy staff and their families, citing heightened security risks.

Niger’s military leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani , accused the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of supporting the armed group behind the attack, without offering evidence. “We remind the sponsors of those mercenaries… they should now be prepared to hear us roar,” he said in a televised address.

The allegations triggered diplomatic reactions. Ivory Coast’s foreign ministry summoned Niger’s ambassador and called the statement a serious affront to the honour and dignity of its head of state and people. Benin’s government spokesman Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji dismissed the claims as not credible. France has not yet responded publicly.

Niamey’s airport is a strategic military hub, hosting several defence installations, including the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force, and is located near a major uranium stockpile operated by French firm Orano.

The attack comes as Niger continues to battle a wave of jihadist violence spreading across the Sahel. Groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida intensified their operations in 2025, destabilising Niger , Mali and Burkina Faso countries now ruled by military juntas following coups.

Since taking power, Niger’s rulers and their counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso have cut ties with France and other Western partners and turned to Russia for military assistance. The juntas frequently accuse Benin and Ivory Coast , both close allies of France, of acting as proxies for Paris.

Security analysts say that under military rule, the three Sahel states have witnessed a rise in militant attacks and growing vulnerability to armed groups. The sophistication and daring of the Niamey strike, including the possible use of drones, suggests the assailants may have received inside assistance, said Ulf Laessing of Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation .

Experts warn that the incident underlines the fragile security environment in the Sahel and the expanding footprint of Islamic State in Africa, where militants continue to exploit political instability and weak state control to stage increasingly audacious operations.