Explosions and gunfire were heard coming from the airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey, residents have told the BBC.
“I heard the first gunshots at 06:00 (05:00 local time) while I was at the mosque. But the current situation is under control,” one person said.
The gunfire, which lasted for two hours, came from the entrance to the airport, a witness told the AFP news agency.
Niger has been fighting an Islamist insurgency for a decade, and in January, suspected jihadists launched an attack on the same airport. Like its neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali, Niger is now run by a military junta that came to power partly due to the failure to contain the violence.
Residents told the BBC that Thursday’s attack was repelled by the army, which is now hunting down fleeing assailants who reportedly abandoned their weapons.
The authorities have not yet commented, and no group has claimed responsibility. However, an affiliate of the Islamic State group said it carried out January’s assault.
Niger’s defence ministry said that in the January attack, four military personnel were injured and 20 attackers were killed.
At the time, the head of Niger’s military government thanked Russia for its help in foiling the attack and accused the presidents of France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of backing those responsible.
He did not give details of what assistance Russia had provided or offer any evidence to support his accusations against the other countries.
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