Baku-APA. A shooting has taken place near a college in the Nigerien capital city, Niamey, the country’s defense minister says, APA reports quoting Press TV.
Karidjo Mahamadou said on Tuesday that the shooting occurred near a college for Niger's paramilitary police in a suburb of Niamey in the southwest of the country.
"I can confirm that there is shooting near the Ecole de la Gendarmerie," the defense minister said.
Regarding the identity of the gunmen at the shooting, Mahamadou stated, "No, we do not know who the gunmen are."
He declined to give further details, adding that there were no immediate reports of any casualties.
"The shooting began around 21:30 (2030 GMT). It scared everyone," a local resident said.
Abdou Sadi, whose house is also near the college, said the shooting was still going on at around 11 p.m. local time (2200 GMT). "The camp where they train the gendarmes recruits seems to have been attacked," he said, adding, "We can hear shots ringing out throughout our neighborhood. It appears that the combat is still happening."
On June 2, the Nigerien government said 22 prisoners escaped from the central prison in Niamey during an attack launched by militants.
Two prison guards were killed in the incident for which Boko Haram militants were the main suspects.
The Boko Haram militant group, headquartered in neighboring Nigeria, says its goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government.
The group -- whose name means “Western education is forbidden” -- has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly gun and bomb attacks in various parts of Nigeria since 2009.
Over the past four years, violence in the north of Africa’s most populous country has claimed the lives of 3,600 people, including killings by the security forces.
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