Heavily armed attackers stormed the international airport in Niger's capital early on Thursday, triggering a gun battle that left dozens dead, the country's defence minister said.
The assailants entered the airport in Niamey before dawn, opened fire and detonated explosives, Defence Minister Salifou Modi said.
Security forces regained control of the area around Diori Hamani International Airport after about an hour, he said.
Eleven members of the security forces, two civilians and 22 attackers were killed in the fighting, according to Modi. More than 20 additional suspects were arrested.
The minister did not identify the perpetrators.
The attack was the second on the airport this year.
In late January, an affiliate of the Islamic State group in the Sahel region attacked the airport and the adjacent air force base, which until 2024 also hosted foreign troops.
After Niger's military government ended military cooperation with Western partners, the base became home to Russian mercenaries and drones purchased from Turkey, among other assets.
Niger, a largely desert landlocked country of around 28 million people in West Africa, is one of the world's poorest nations.
The military seized power in a coup in July 2023. Coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani, a close ally of Russia, has since been declared president until at least 2030 without elections.
