Gunmen launch an attack on Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, early on Thursday, according to Niger’s Defence Ministry and related reports. The assault targets the airport and military area, triggering explosions and an exchange of gunfire that lasts for more than an hour and continues as sporadic gunfire is reported for nearly two hours. Niger’s Ministry of Defence says 11 soldiers and two civilians are killed during the fighting. It also states that 22 attackers die in the operation. Witnesses report hearing the first explosions at around 6:00 a.m. local time. None of the outlets reporting on the incident provide an immediate identification of the perpetrators or a confirmed claim of responsibility at the time of publication. One report notes that the airport was previously targeted by a regional Islamic State affiliate in January, but the current attack is not explicitly linked by sources to a specific group. Authorities do not name those behind the attack in the accounts cited, and the exact sequence of events and broader security impacts are not detailed across the reports.