Islamic State video details extent of attack in Niamey

In a newly released video by the Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency, the group details its attack against Niger’s Diori Hamani International Airport and Air Base 101 in the capital Niamey. The video greatly contradicts statements made by Nigerien officials, as well as accounts of the attack posted on pro-Russian Telegram channels.

The brief video, just over 1:30 minutes, shows dozens of heavily armed gunmen, some on motorcycles, attacking several aircraft hangars within Air Base 101. The gunmen can be seen shooting at and burning the aircraft, including at least one used for aerial reconnaissance.

In a separate photo release by the jihadist group, a helicopter is shown on fire at the base. An additional statement released by the Islamic State also claims that the fighters burned at least one drone at the airbase.

In the released footage, Islamic State gunmen are shown moving to the civilian side of the airport and shooting at several passenger aircraft with small arms. This part of the video is consistent with local reporting that stated two civilian airlines reported damage to their aircraft during the attack.

Some area researchers have noted the possible presence of Hausa and Kanuri speakers in the video, two languages spoken mainly in northeastern Nigeria. Their presence could indicate cooperation between the Islamic State’s Sahel and West Africa Provinces in the operation. This assessment is unverified, however.

The group’s written claim accompanying the video stated that after the fighters withdrew, Nigerien forces regrouped and targeted the Islamic State’s retreating gunmen with a drone strike. The jihadist group did not disclose how many of its men were killed in the strike, however. This account contradicts the official narrative put out by Niger, which claims that the Islamic State’s assault was repelled.

Additional reports on social media have described a much higher death toll for both local Nigerien security forces and men from Russia’s Africa Corps who were also stationed at the airbase. Nigerien officials were quick to state that just four soldiers were wounded in the assault. However, according to unofficial reports on social media, at least 24 Nigerien soldiers and three Russian mercenaries were killed in the fighting. These figures remain unconfirmed, however.

It is now also unclear if Niger’s claims of capturing some of the Islamic State’s gunmen are true or false, as well. Neither Niger nor Russia’s Africa Corps have publicly commented on any updated casualty reports.

Inside Niger, the Islamic State has been responsible for numerous recent attacks that have left dozens killed and wounded. The jihadist group is also suspected of kidnapping American pilot Kevin Rideout in October 2025, though it has not officially claimed this incident.

The recent assault on Niamey’s airport is one of the Islamic State’s boldest assaults to date. The attack highlights growing insecurity in the capital and across Niger. It also indicates that the Islamic State maintains a degree of freedom of movement inside Niamey while its men attack Nigerien positions elsewhere across the country.

Caleb Weiss is an editor of FDD’s Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa.