Algeria has transferred four helicopters to Niger as part of wider defence and security cooperation. The package includes two Mi-24V attack helicopters and two Mi-171 multirole transport helicopters, along with ammunition, spare parts, maintenance equipment and logistical support. The aircraft flew from Algeria’s In Guezzam deployment base to Niamey, while supporting equipment was transported separately by an Algerian military aircraft. Algeria and Niger share roughly 950 kilometres of border across the Sahel, where militant activity, weapons trafficking and other cross-border threats remain concerns. The transfer comes as Niger faces continuing attacks against military and aviation facilities. In June, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin attacked Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, where a military airbase is also located. Nigerien authorities reported 11 soldiers and two civilians killed. Earlier, armed fighters attacked a military drone base at Tahoua Airport. Human Rights Watch has also reported civilian casualties linked to Nigerien military operations, including an apparent drone strike on a crowded market that killed at least 17 civilians and injured at least 13.
