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| Africa North |
| Tahoua Airport✈️, located in northwestern Niger, was attacked by terrorists. |
| 2026-03-10 |
Translated Text: Niger 🇳🇪| On 03/09 around 03:05 a.m., Tahoua Airport✈️, located in northwestern Niger, was attacked by terrorists. The airport as well as downtown Tahoua were stormed by armed individuals traveling by motorcycle. Gunfire and explosions were heard in the area. 🔵 Shortly after the landing of a TB2 drone, the attackers launched their assault on Air Base 401. Their main target appears to have been the drone hangars housing the Nigerian Air Force's TB2 fleet. The terrorists also opened fire on other military facilities present on the base. The defense and security forces (FDS) intervened quickly and managed to contain the attack, routing the assailants. ⚫️ The toll reports a few lightly injured on the Nigerian army side, several deaths among the terrorists, and 5 suspects arrested. The latter were carrying a significant amount of currency as well as equipment. Some facilities were damaged, but no major losses are reported. ℹ️ Today, the governor of the Tahoua region visited Air Base 401 to assess the damage and salute the security forces. He was accompanied by the regional FDS officials as well as the Refounding Advisors. He stated that the airport remains open and secure, and that all activities there continue normally. ⚠️ This attack comes less than two months after the one targeting the Niamey airport and Base 101, claimed by the Islamic State. The attack has not yet been claimed, but insurgents affiliated with the EIGS are suspected. More:
Translated Text: 🟥 Niger: An attack carried out by a commando unit from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) targeted, in the night from Sunday, March 8 to Monday, March 9, 2026, the air facilities of the Nigerien army in Tahoua. Several military drones were damaged and strategic infrastructure destroyed, security sources told us. According to these sources, the assault began around 03:10 a.m., shortly after the return from mission of a Bayraktar drone, reported at 02:54, and was carried out simultaneously from the east and north of the city, as part of a coordinated attack explicitly targeting the air capabilities of the Nigerien air force stationed at the 401 Air Base in Tahoua. The attackers used rocket fire and kamikaze drones to strike the facilities. Two hangars housing drones were hit, according to the same sources. Same modus operandi as the attack on Base 101 in Niamey, on January 29, 2026. The material toll includes two drones put out of service, including a Turkish Aksungur drone, recently received by the Nigerien forces (it was part of a batch of five aircraft delivered about two weeks ago to Niamey and received by General Modi) as well as a Bayraktar drone. The strikes also destroyed the drone command and piloting center, making it currently impossible to take off the two remaining aircraft stationed at the base, due to the lack of an operational control system. A Turkish maintenance mission will be in Tahoua tomorrow to assess the damage. Still according to these sources, intelligence had nevertheless alerted the authorities to the imminence of an attack on Base 401, which had led to strengthening the military deployments in Tahoua, particularly with the mobilization of units stationed in Gardaoua, a strategic position in the region. Despite these measures, the commando managed to partially achieve its objectives and withdraw without major damage. Several hours after the attack, the attackers were spotted in the Eknewan area, heading toward Menaka in Mali, a sector considered the EIGS's strong bastion. ©️Satellite image of the 401 Air Base in Tahoua before the attack. |
| Posted by:badanov |