Niger said it had regained control of a key military airbase in the capital Niamey after an attack by mutinous soldiers on Saturday, in the latest challenge to military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani as his government struggles to contain a jihadist insurgency.
The attack highlighted tensions within Niger’s armed forces, which have suffered repeated battlefield losses while fighting West Africa’s al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates.
Explosions and gunfire rang out across Niamey early on Saturday, including at the military airbase and around the presidency.
Located in the same complex as Niamey’s civilian airport, the airbase is home to military aircraft and drones as well as a counter-terrorism unit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) which includes Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
