Algeria has provided Niger with four military helicopters as part of broader bilateral defence and security cooperation. The transfer includes two Mi-24V attack helicopters and two Mi-171 multirole transport helicopters.
Along with the aircraft, Algeria supplied ammunition, spare parts, maintenance equipment and other logistical support. The helicopters flew from Algeria’s In Guezzam deployment base to Niamey, while the accompanying equipment and ammunition were transported separately by an Algerian military aircraft.
The transfer comes as the two neighbouring countries face security challenges across the Sahel. Algeria and Niger share a border of roughly 950 kilometres, and the wider region continues to experience militant activity, weapons trafficking and other cross-border threats.
Niger’s military government, which took power in July 2023, continues to face attacks from groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Aviation facilities have become particular targets because of their importance to counterterrorism operations.
In June, militants affiliated with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin attacked Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, which also hosts a military airbase. Nigerien authorities reported that 11 soldiers and two civilians were killed.
Earlier, armed fighters attacked a military drone facility at Tahoua Airport. The Nigerien army repelled the assault, with several soldiers injured and attackers killed.
The security situation has also raised concerns about civilian casualties from Nigerien military operations. Human Rights Watch reported that an apparent drone strike on a crowded market killed at least 17 civilians, including four children, and injured at least 13 others.
