IS has claimed responsibility for an overnight assault on Niger’s Diori Hamani International Airport, where authorities say 20 attackers were killed and several others detained.

The strike unfolded shortly after midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, with residents near the Diori Hamani International Airport describing gunfire and explosions that lasted close to an hour.

The airport, located about 10 kilometres from the presidential palace and home to an air force base, returned to calm as soldiers regained control.

Military authorities said four soldiers were wounded during the fighting and that several assailants were arrested.

In a statement carried by its propaganda outlet Aqma, the group said its fighters carried out the operation at the base and claimed it caused “significant damage”.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist communications, first reported the claim.

The attack stands out because events of this scale near the capital are rare, even as the country continues to face long-running violence in its western and southeastern regions from groups tied to both al-Qaeda and IS in the Sahel.

Niger’s ruling military council accused the presidents of Benin, France and Ivory Coast of backing the assailants, although no evidence has been provided to support the allegations.

Authorities say operations with partners continue, but the incident underscores the security pressure facing the state despite a heavy military presence.

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