Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed that Algerian fighter jets were deployed to Niger in late August to help foil a "coup attempt" in Niamey. The unrest involved attacks on Diori Hamani International Airport, the state broadcaster and the presidential palace, and Nigerien forces later said they regained control. Algeria's defence ministry said Su-30 patrols and a refuelling plane landed at Niamey at the request of Nigerien authorities, though official statements varied on exact numbers.
Algeria Says It Deployed Fighter Jets To Niger To Foil 'Coup Attempt,' President Tebboune Confirms
A military armoured vehicle on the street in Niamey following the attack by mutineers on the airport and presidency on August 30, 2026 [File: Reuters]
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has confirmed that Algerian fighter jets were deployed to Niger in late August to help thwart what he described as a "coup attempt" that shook the capital, Niamey.
What Tebboune Said
In excerpts broadcast from an interview with local media ahead of its full airing, Tebboune said the warplanes were sent because some actors had "gone too far." He did not specify whether he was referring to internal factions or external forces. Tebboune noted that Niger's Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, had been visiting Algeria and returned to Niger at night just before the unrest began.
"For obvious reasons, this is a provocation against us … and I too will send planes and we'll meet head-on," Tebboune said, framing the deployment as a direct response to the events in Niamey.
Events In Niamey
Sustained gunfire and explosions were reported in Niamey overnight from 28 August into 29 August. Renegade soldiers first attacked a military base at Diori Hamani International Airport and subsequently struck the state broadcaster and the presidential palace.
Niger's Minister of Defence, General Salifou Modi, said a faction of military personnel attempted to detain several colleagues at Air Base 101 and opened fire on strategic locations across the capital. Security forces later intervened and said they gradually regained control of the targeted sites.
Algerian Military Deployment
On 30 August, Algeria's Ministry of Defence announced it had sent fighter jets to Niger amid the unrest. The ministry said two patrols of Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft — reported as groups of four — landed at Niamey airport accompanied by an air-to-air refuelling plane. Official statements about the exact number of aircraft varied, with some reports initially citing four jets and others describing the two patrols of Su-30s.
The ministry said the deployment was carried out at the request of Nigerien authorities and described the mission as support for the Nigerien army in confronting "an attempt to destabilise the brotherly state of Niger."
Regional Context
Last month Niger's military government accused France of orchestrating the failed mutiny; Paris denied any involvement. Algeria and Niger maintain close security and military cooperation and share a long land border. Algerian officials have emphasized that stability across the Sahel is vital to their national security.
Prime Minister Zeine visited Algeria on 26–27 August leading a high-level ministerial delegation to boost bilateral cooperation, and returned to Niger shortly before the unrest began.
Notes
The timeline and official statements contain some discrepancies on the exact number of aircraft deployed. Reporting relied on statements from Algerian and Nigerien officials and on contemporary accounts of events in Niamey.
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