Sustained gunfire and loud blasts were ​heard early on Thursday near ‌Niamey International Airport in Niger, according to ‌a Reuters witness. The heavy gunfire, which began nearly an hour earlier, was ongoing as of 0012 GMT, ⁠the witness ‌said. A video shared on social media platform X appeared ‍to show the city’s night skyline illuminated by gunfire, though Reuters has not ​independently verified the footage. A spokesperson ‌for Niger’s military government, which seized power in a July 2023 coup, was not immediately available for comment. SOURCE: REUTERS AND AGENCIES