Heavy gunfire, blasts shake Niger’s capital

Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard overnight into Saturday morning in Niger’s capital of Niamey, including near the main airport and in an area housing the presidential palace, according to an Associated Press witness and local media.

Sustained gunfire began past midnight at the premises of the Diori Hamani International Airport, which hosts a major military base, according to an AP witness who requested anonymity for safety reasons.

It is the third time this year the airport has experienced unrest. Local media also reported gunshots ringing out from the Plateau administrative district, where the Presidential Palace and key institutions are located.

The ruling military council, known as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, said the military has been deployed.

Let us remain united, vigilant and supportive,” it said in a Facebook post. It was not immediately clear what caused the gunfire and explosions, although a local lawmaker called it a “cowardly attack.”

The airport area had been attacked twice by jihadis in recent months as pressure mounts on Niger’s struggling military junta.

Soldiers attempted predawn mutiny, says defence minister

Niamey: A group of soldiers in Niger rebelled against officers at a key military base and shot at “sensitive” locations in the capital city of Niamey in an apparent mutiny that resulted in gunfire and explosions, authorities said on Saturday.

Niger’s Defence Minister Gen Salifou Mody said there had been a “break with the discipline and military regulations.”

He said soldiers attempted to rebel against officers at the base and shot at “sensitive sites” before authorities regained control of the situation.