Algeria says it sent fighter jets to Niger to thwart 'coup attempt'

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said his country deployed fighter jets to Niger's capital, Niamey, in late August to help thwart what he described as a coup attempt, according to Al Jazeera. He said the deployment followed an attack by mutineers in the Niger capital.

Algeria shares a long border with Niger and has previously positioned itself as a regional actor with an interest in stability in the Sahel, a region that has experienced a wave of military takeovers in recent years, including in Niger itself in 2023. Tebboune's account suggests a more direct Algerian military involvement in Niger's internal security than has typically been publicized.

The report did not provide further detail on the identity of the mutineers involved, the scale of the alleged coup attempt, or how Niger's current authorities have responded to Algeria's account of events. Niger's government has not been reported as issuing its own detailed public statement on the episode described by Tebboune.

The disclosure comes amid continued instability across the wider Sahel region, where several governments have been toppled by military takeovers since 2020. Algeria's role in responding to such episodes in neighboring countries remains a closely watched aspect of regional security dynamics.