Two Security Sources Confirmed the Base Had Been Retaken.

Members of Niger's presidential guard, assisted by Russian forces, recaptured a key military base in the capital Niamey from mutinous soldiers on Saturday, according to diplomatic and security sources. The presidential guard retook control of the air base with Russian help, a diplomatic source said, adding that several of the rebelling soldiers had been killed. Two security sources confirmed the base had been retaken.

Niger's ruling junta said it was back in control after the mutinous soldiers triggered armed clashes in the capital, moving on the presidential palace and disrupting the state broadcaster. Niger has been ruled for three years by a military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, which has struggled to contain jihadist violence that has flared in the West African country for around a decade. Fighting broke out shortly after midnight when soldiers blocked access to the presidential palace and the national television station, Tele Sahel, which went off the air for just over an hour before being restored around 10 a.m. Niger's defence minister, General Salifou Mody, said on state television that a group of soldiers had held some troops hostage at a barracks in Niamey and opened fire at certain sensitive sites in the city, without specifying which ones.

Troops and security forces had quickly taken back control, he added, calling on residents to remain calm. First shots were heard at about 1:00 a.m. local time and continued until daybreak, according to a video published by a local journalist. One resident reported heavy gunfire and explosions at Base 101 in Niamey, a claim confirmed by several other witnesses.

Another said he heard bursts of gunfire at about 7:00 a.m., adding that "the weapons heard are not the kind that terrorists on motorbikes can carry. Videos online showed armoured vehicles deployed to reinforce the neighbourhood near the airport. Air Force Base 101, located within the international airport complex, is home to the headquarters of Russia's Africa Corps in Niamey.

The base is also the command of the unified force of the Alliance of Sahel States, of which Niger is a member with Burkina Faso and Mali. 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. Junta supporters called for "sincere patriots to demonstrate in support of the authorities at a major Niamey square, where a few dozen people had converged by late afternoon.

Neighbouring Algeria condemned Saturday's events and pledged support for the Niamey government. Niamey airport has been targeted twice this year by jihadists, first by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) in January, then in late June by its rival, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), the Sahel branch of Al-Qaeda. Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali — quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc, turned their backs on traditional Western partners, especially France, and sought closer ties with Russia. A regional security source and an African diplomatic source said the rebelling troops still held two barracks around Niamey by Saturday evening.