Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport came under a terrorist assault early on Thursday, June 18, 2026. The attack, claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), Al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch, left 11 soldiers, two civilians, and 22 assailants dead according to official figures.

In a communiqué, the Sahel States Confederation (AES) – which includes Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso – condemned what it called a “cowardly and treacherous” aggression carried out on the outskirts of the Niamey airport.

“Clearly, by attempting to seize control of Niamey Airport, the aim of this latest attack was to degrade the operational capabilities of the Nigerien armed forces and thus reverse the current trend of terrorist groups being pushed back, as they are regularly defeated on the battlefield,” the AES stated.

The confederation described the assault, which claimed 11 military and two civilian lives while killing 22 attackers, as “another manifestation of terrorist violence backed by foreign state sponsors.”

This incident comes just months after a similar offensive in January 2026 targeted Niamey’s Air Base 101, located near the Diori Hamani International Airport. That episode triggered diplomatic tensions, with Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tiani accusing several foreign leaders of involvement in destabilising the country. Those allegations sparked sharp reactions internationally.

Despite the repeated attacks, the Sahel States Confederation asserts that its joint security strategy remains unshaken. “Far from undermining the momentum driving the confederal dynamic, these recurring and orchestrated attacks only reinforce the sacred union of the sons and daughters of the AES around the vision of their heads of state in their fight to preserve the territorial integrity of member states, protect populations, and guarantee lasting peace in the Sahel region,” the AES leaders warned.