Russia said on Monday that Russian soldiers helped Niger’s ruling military council repel an attack on the main airport in the capital Niamey last week, an assault claimed by Islamic State.

Niger’s military rulers said on Thursday that militants attacked Niamey’s international airport, wounding four soldiers, and that security forces killed 20 attackers, including a French national, and arrested others.

Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that “the attack was repelled thanks to joint efforts by the African Corps of the Russian Defence Ministry and the Nigerien armed forces”.

Moscow “strongly condemns this extremist attack,” the statement added.