Niamey (Niger), 19 June (H.S.):

A terrorist attack struck Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger's capital, Niamey, in the early hours of Thursday, with explosions and heavy gunfire continuing for more than an hour.

According to the Niger Republic's military government's preliminary report, 11 soldiers and 22 terrorists were killed in the attack.

According to a report by the English-language newspaper Premier Times Nigeria, two civilians also lost their lives. The gunfire reportedly began near the airport's main entrance, after which security forces cordoned off the entire airport complex.

Local residents said that the attackers began fleeing in different directions after the military sealed off the area. Nigerien security forces pursued the terrorists, who abandoned a cache of weapons while escaping.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, a similar assault targeted the same airport in January this year.

During the January attack, militants linked to the Islamic State in the Sahel (IS-Sahel) launched a coordinated assault using mortars and drones. They targeted both the civilian terminal and the adjacent Air Base 101, a key strategic hub for the country's military operations.

During that attack, Russian Africa Corps fighters fought alongside Nigerien troops, killing several militants and capturing others alive. The assault also caused extensive damage to the runway, military vehicles, and commercial aircraft.

Niger has been battling an organised Islamist insurgency for more than a decade. Like its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, the country is currently under military rule. The military government seized power after pledging to decisively end the widespread regional violence.

Today, Niger remains at the centre of a complex, multi-front battle against violent extremism, which has destabilised the wider Sahel region since the mid-2010s.

The country is currently confronting multiple insurgent groups. In the west, near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso, it is fighting IS-Sahel and Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated group. In the south-east, near Lake Chad, Niger is battling Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar