August 29, 2026
Nigeria Police
Mutinying soldiers led armed clashes in Niger’s capital Saturday, alarming residents, but the ruling junta said it had largely wrested back control after hours of heavy exchanges around some of its most sensitive sites.
But while the fighting had subsided later Saturday, the rebel troops were said by a regional security source and an African diplomatic source to still be holding two barracks around Niamey, including one at a large air base near the capital’s airport.
When the fighting broke out, shortly after midnight, soldiers blocked access to the presidential palace and to the national television station, Tele Sahel, which went off the air for just over an hour, before being restored around 10:00 am (0900 GMT).
