Algeria has strengthened its military support to Niger by donating two Mi-24V attack helicopters and two Mi-171 multirole transport helicopters. The package also includes ammunition, replacement parts, maintenance equipment and logistical support intended to sustain the newly delivered aircraft.
The four helicopters were flown from Algeria’s In Guezzam deployment base in the southern part of the country to Niger’s capital, Niamey. Ammunition and other support equipment were transported separately using an Algerian military aircraft.
Algerian authorities characterized the transfer as part of ongoing bilateral defense and security cooperation. Algeria and Niger share a border stretching approximately 950 kilometers (590 miles) through the Sahel, where militant groups, weapons trafficking and cross-border security threats remain major concerns.
Growing Pressure on Niger’s Security Forces
The delivery takes place against a backdrop of sustained security pressure on Niger’s military government, which came to power following the July 2023 coup. The country continues to face attacks by al-Qaeda- and Islamic State-affiliated groups, with airports and military aviation facilities increasingly targeted because of their role in counterterrorism operations.
In June, JNIM militants attacked Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, which includes an adjoining military airbase. According to Nigerien authorities, the attack resulted in the deaths of 11 soldiers and two civilians.
Earlier, in March, armed fighters targeted a military drone base located at Tahoua Airport. Nigerien forces successfully repelled the attack, with several soldiers reportedly wounded and several attackers killed. No organization immediately took responsibility for the incident.
Diori Hamani Airport had previously been attacked in January, when Islamic State militants targeted both the civilian airport and the neighboring air force base.
At the same time, Niger’s counterinsurgency operations have faced scrutiny over civilian harm. Human Rights Watch reported that an apparent Nigerien drone strike on a crowded market killed at least 17 civilians, including four children, while another 13 or more people were reportedly wounded.
