The West African country of Niger has been hit by terrorist attacks. The attack took place at Diori Hamani International Airport in the country’s capital, Niamey. At least 35 people and 22 terrorists were killed in the attack on Thursday night.
Jamaat al-Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim (JNIM), a terrorist group with close ties to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack. This is the second major attack by the militant group in just five months. According to the BBC, 11 security personnel were also killed in the clash with the terrorists armed with sophisticated weapons. Two other innocent civilians were also killed.
The attack on the country’s largest airport is believed to be largely responsible for Niger’s poor law and order situation.
In July 2023, the military overthrew the elected President Mohamed Bazom in a coup. Then Army Chief General Abdur Rahman Chiani took power himself. Much of the country has been in a kind of civil war ever since. Taking advantage of this unstable situation, Al-Qaeda and other allied terrorist groups have now greatly increased their militant activities in Niger.