Explosions and gunfire heard at airport in Niger's capital Niamey

Explosions and sustained gunfire that lasted more than an hour were heard early Thursday morning ​at the ‌airport in Niamey, the ⁠capital of Niger, and security forces had blocked ‌off the area, a Reuters witness ⁠and two residents said.

The first explosions occurred at around 6am local ​time (0500 GMT) and sporadic ‌gunfire was still audible nearly two hours later, the Reuters witness said.

A security ‌source said it appeared the airport was under attack.

A ​Niger government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Islamic ​State (IS) group affiliate in the region ​claimed responsibility for an attack on ​the airport in January. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for Thursday's attack.

Watch more Who attacked Niamey's airport and what does it reveal?

Following the attack, thousands of illegally built homes were torn down in a sprawling neighbourhood near the airport.

Authorities said the district had been infiltrated by jihadists to carry out the attack.

Niger, like its Sahel neighbours ​Mali and Burkina Faso, has struggled to contain attacks from jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and the IS group ⁠that have killed thousands and displaced millions in ⁠the three ​countries.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)