NIAMEY, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Niger's army regained control of a key military airbase on Sunday after it was attacked by mutinous soldiers a day earlier, the latest challenge to military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani as his government struggles to contain a jihadist insurgency.
The attack underscored tensions within Niger's armed forces, which have suffered repeated battlefield losses while fighting West Africa's al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates.
Explosions and gunfire echoed across Niamey early on Saturday, including around the military airbase and the presidency. Three security sources told Reuters on Sunday that government forces had retaken the airbase after hours of fighting.
Residents said the capital appeared calm on Sunday, while aircraft circled overhead and authorities dismantled roadblocks erected during the unrest.
Located in the same complex as Niamey's civilian airport, the airbase is home to military aircraft and drones as well as a counter-terrorism unit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) which includes Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Russian and Italian forces are also stationed there.
Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force, received a request for assistance in neutralising the mutineers in Niamey, Viktor Voropaev, the Russian ambassador to Niger, said on Saturday in an interview with TASS news agency.
Niger's presidential office said Algeria had also sent help in the form of four fighter jets, a transport aircraft and a refueling tanker delivered on Sunday.
Prior to Saturday's assault, the airbase had already been targeted twice this year - in January by the regional Islamic State affiliate and in June by the regional al Qaeda affiliate.
Niger state media said late Saturday that the attack involved "hundreds of disaffected soldiers" and that fighting lasted for several hours as forces loyal to military leader Tiani tried to regain control.
It aired footage purporting to show surrendering mutineers.
Reuters has not independently confirmed the state media report.
The Presidential Guard rallied to Tiani's defence, three security sources said. Tiani had not made any public appearances as of Sunday morning.
Niger, a West African nation rich in uranium, oil and gold resources, has been ruled by military officers since a July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
SAHEL LEADERS STRUGGLE AGAINST JIHADISTS
Tiani, like his counterparts in Burkina Faso and Mali, has failed to make progress against jihadists.
The Islamic State affiliate has staged multiple deadly assaults on the military in southwest Niger, including one earlier this month that killed 18 soldiers.
The mutineers' operation involved soldiers based in Niamey as well as soldiers from the localities of Ouallam, Tera and Dosso, where the army has sustained heavy casualties.
Analysts and security sources say frustration with the government is mounting within frontline units, creating another vulnerability for Tiani beyond the insurgents themselves.
Since seizing power, Tiani's government has shifted away from Western partners, deepened ties with Russia and broken with the regional ECOWAS bloc.
The unrest comes as authorities tighten control over the uranium sector, having seized assets from France's Orano. Niger had been a key supplier of nuclear fuel to Europe, accounting for about 15% of Orano's uranium supply at full capacity.
(Reporting by Niger newsroom; Additional reporting by Marina Bobrova; Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Jessica DonatiEditing by Ros Russell)
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