Sustained gunfire, loud blasts heard in Niger

Sustained gunfire ​and loud blasts were heard early on Thursday near Niamey International Airport ⁠in Niger, according to a Reuters witness. The ‌heavy gunfire, ⁠which began nearly an hour earlier, was ‍ongoing as of 0012 GMT, the witness said. A video shared ⁠on social media platform X appeared to show the city's night skyline illuminated by ‌gunfire, though Reuters has not independently verified the footage. A spokesperson ⁠for Niger's military government, which seized power in a July 2023 coup, was not immediately ⁠available for comment. The Sahel West African nation, like neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, has ‍struggled to contain attacks from jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda ‌and ​Islamic State, ‌that have killed thousands and displaced millions in the three nations.