ISIL Claims Responsibility for Niger Airport Assault as Military Ruler Accuses Regional Powers

NIAMEY, Niger — The Islamic State (ISIL) has formally claimed responsibility for a brazen assault on a military airbase adjacent to Niger's primary international airport, marking a significant escalation in the Sahel region's security crisis. The claim, issued via the group's Amaq News Agency on Friday, described a "surprise and coordinated attack" on facilities at Diori Hamani International Airport, near the capital Niamey, which it said inflicted "significant damage."

The attack, which unfolded in the early hours of Thursday, triggered a fierce firefight. Niger's military government, in power since a 2023 coup, reported that security forces repelled the assault, killing 20 attackers and wounding four soldiers. The targeted base is a strategic hub, housing military assets, the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali Joint Force, and, critically, a major stockpile of uranium at the center of a nationalization dispute with the French nuclear firm Orano.

This incident underscores the persistent threat posed by ISIL's Sahel affiliate, the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS), which has been linked to a series of high-casualty attacks in Niger in recent months. The group's operational reach was demonstrated by the killing of over 120 people in the Tillaberi region in September and the abduction of a U.S. pilot in October.

The aftermath of the attack has been dominated by geopolitical recriminations. Military ruler General Abdourahamane Tiani, in a televised address, pointedly thanked Russian troops stationed at the base for "defending their sector," cementing the junta's pivot towards Moscow for security cooperation. Simultaneously, he leveled explosive—and unsubstantiated—allegations that France, Benin, and Ivory Coast had sponsored the assault, warning them to "be ready to hear us roar."

Benin's government swiftly rejected the accusation. "He is the only one to believe that nonsense," stated government spokesman Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji on Friday.

The attack and its fallout highlight the deepening regional realignment. Niger, alongside military-led neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, has formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), collectively turning away from former Western partners, particularly France, and embracing Russian support to combat a decade-long insurgency led by groups like EIS and the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM.

Voices from the Region

"This isn't just another terrorist attack; it's a direct strike at the heart of Niger's strategic and economic nerve center," said Dr. Amadou Bello, a security analyst based in Dakar. "The targeting of the airport, with its military and uranium assets, sends a clear message of capability from ISIL and exposes the fragility of the new security alliances."

Marie-Claire Dubois, a former French diplomat specializing in Sahel affairs, offered a more critical take: "Tiani's baseless accusations against France and regional partners are a dangerous diversion. They exploit anti-colonial sentiment to mask the junta's failure to provide security. This pivot to Russia is trading one external master for another while the people of Niger suffer the violence."

Idrissa Souley, a shopkeeper in Niamey, expressed the local fear: "We hear the jets and the gunfire. They attacked near the palace, near our homes. The soldiers say they killed the terrorists, but who is next? The politicians blame each other, but we just want to live in peace."