In a statement read out on public television and signed by Defence Minister General Salifou Mody, the authorities called on the public to "remain calm and freely go about their business".
Sustained gunfire and explosions rang out early Saturday across several areas of Niger's capital Niamey, including the airport and near the presidency, in an attack by mutinous soldiers. A West Africa-based security source told reporters the presidential guard continued to repel mutineers at the palace.
Niger's defense ministry said that mutinous soldiers from a base in Niamey opened fire on "sensitive sites" in the city, confirming that an attack that lasted for hours was perpetrated by members of the armed forces.
The attack marked the latest threat to the rule of Abdourahamane Tiani, who seized power in a 2023 coup. Tiani had pledged to improve security in the Sahel nation, a major uranium producer.
The ruling military council, known as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, said the military has been deployed.
“Our Defence and Security Forces are mobilized for the Defense of the Fatherland. Let us remain united, vigilant and supportive,” it said in a Facebook post.
National television service was briefly cut Saturday but TV broadcasts resumed on the main state-owned channel by late morning.
Read moreAl Qaeda-linked jihadists claim deadly attack on Niger airport
Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a member of Niger's Bureau of the Consultative Council and a deputy in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Parliament, said on Facebook that attackers had also targeted the military airbase, known as Base 101, but that security forces had regained control.
However, a Reuters witness reported further gunfire at the airport and heavy explosions in the pre-dawn hours after Ibrahim's post was published.
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Base 101, located within the international airport complex, notably houses the headquarters of Niamey's Russian Africa Corps partners, as well as the command of the unified force of the AES, of which Niger is a member along with Burkina Faso and Mali.
The site is sensitive. Between December and January, it hosted a large shipment of uranium concentrate, which was held up while awaiting export. No movement of the shipment has been identified since.
Earlier this year, affiliates of al-Qaeda and Islamic State group both carried out attacks on the civilian airport and military airbase.
(the broadcaster with AFP and Reuters)
