Islamic State Assault on Niger Airport Tests Military Rulers

Islamic State Assault on Niger Airport Tests Military Rulers

Crisis Group experts explain why a deadly attack on Niamey’s airport highlights a broader shift in strategy by jihadist insurgencies that have plagued the central Sahel for over a decade

Growing ISWAP–ISIS ties in Sahel after Niamey attack threaten Lake Chad and West African security corridor - THE AUTHORITY NEWS

By: Zagazola Makama The Jan. 29 attack on Niger’s Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey has exposed a dangerous evolution in jihadist cooperation across West Africa: a tightening operational axis between Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Lake Chad Basin and Islamic State affiliates operating across the Sahel. Beyond the symbolism of striking a capital-city airport, intelligence indicators point to something more consequent…

Islamic State Gunmen Confirmed Behind Deadly Niger Airport and Air Base Assault

Gunmen from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) attacked Diori Hamani International Airport and a nearby military air base in Niger on January 30, 2026, leaving several dead and injured. The assault marks one of the deadliest attacks on the country’s capital in recent months. According to authorities, the attackers struck both civilian and military targets. They reportedly breached security perimeters, fired indiscriminately, and caus…