A man in Niger's capital Niamey sells newspapers featuring a report on a recent attack on the international airport, on January 30, 2026 Mahamadou HamidouReutersBy Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 30 Jan 202630 Jan 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2SharefacebooktwitterwhatsappcopylinkSaveThe ISIL (ISIS) armed group has claimed responsibility for an attack on an air force base at Nigers main airport.The ISIL-affiliated Amaq News Agency reported on Friday that the group carried out a surprise and coordinated attack on the base at Diori Hamani International Airport near the capital, Niamey. It claimed the attack caused significant damage, without providing more details.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Niger military govt says France, Benin, Ivory Coast behind airport attacklist 2 of 3Militarising the Sahel will not defeat terrorismlist 3 of 3Will Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso bloc reshape the Sahel?end of listThe military government, which took power in a 2023 coup, said security forces killed 20 attackers in fighting after the attack, which took place shortly after midnight on Thursday. Four army soldiers were wounded in the violence. Nigers authorities have been fighting ISIL affiliate Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) and the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in the west and southeast of the country for a decade.The ISIL affiliate has been linked to high-profile attacks in Niger in recent months, killing more than 120 people in t
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