Gunmen attack Niger airport, killing 11 soldiers and 2 civilians, officials say

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gunmen attacked the main airport in Niger's capital early Thursday, killing 11 soldiers and two civilians in an exchange of fire that also left 22 of the attackers dead, authorities said.Niger’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that the attack in Niamey was foiled and that 20 suspects were arrested along with weapons and ammunition.Witnesses reported gunfire and explosions during the attack, and an Associated Press journalist saw soldiers searching people on the road to the airport in the aftermath of the violence.Hours later, the National Civil Aviation Agency said the airport was operating normally.Niger, led by a military junta since a 2023 coup, has struggled to contain deadly jihadi violence that has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali that are also run by military juntas.It was the second attack at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey this year, after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility fo