Dozens of rebel soldiers arrested or killed

Dozens rebel soldiers: Dozens of soldiers who attempted a mutiny in Niger were killed or arrested in the capital, Niamey, in what officials described as a "major threat" to the ruling junta.The rebels were a group of young troops who were reportedly “aggrieved” over the worsening violence under the junta.State broadcaster RTN aired footage showing dozens of mostly young soldiers being paraded in public after sustained gunfire and explosions were heard overnight into Saturday at a key military base within Niamey’s main airport.

Dozens rebel soldiers Details

The facility houses an air force base and is located near the presidential palace.“The fighting lasted a few hours in several places,” RTN reported, adding that the clashes allowed security forces to “gradually control the situation, arrest and incapacitate these moody soldiers.”The whereabouts of military leader Abdourahamane Tchiani, however, remained unclear.Russia helps loyalist forcesAccording to Moscow’s Ambassador to Niamey Viktor Voropayev, Russia’s Africa Corps base at Niamey's Diori Hamani International Airport provided aerial and ground support to Nigerien forces in suppressing the rebellion.The airport faced its third attack this year after two earlier assaults by jihadist rebels.

Voropayev noted that senior Nigerien military officers visited the facility and thanked Russian personnel for their assistance.The airport is a strategic military hub housing Niger’s air force base and the headquarters of a joint force with Burkina Faso and Mali.