Nigerian troops raid suspected Boko Haram hideout

Soldiers stormed a bungalow on the outskirts of Kano. By ()

KANO, Nigeria (AFP) - Nigerian troops raided Tuesday a suspected hideout of Boko Harem used for its violent attacks in the northern city of Kano, killing one Islamist and recovering some arms and ammunitions.

An AFP reporter who visited the scene said a military task force stormed the two-bedroom bungalow at Bubbugaje in the outskirts of the city around 4:30 am and engaged the insurgents in a shootout.

One Islamist was killed while another escaped, and the house was badly damaged in the raid.

The soldiers also arrested three women, including one nursing mother and a three-year-old girl, while security agents took over the building with the area cordoned off. Three armoured carriers and a bulldozer were stationed in the area.

Items recovered included 35 low-calibre IEDs (improvised explosive devices), five high-calibre remote control IEDs, one AK-47 rifle, 458 rounds of ammunitions, 35 knives, two laptops, a motorcycle, two laptops and a bag of fertilizers.

A bank deposit slip and a leaflet purportedly containing a message by the Boko Haram leader were also found in the building.

One of the arrested women told AFP she was married to a member of the group.

"I was married to my husband a year ago. We met in Wudil. I only came to know that he was a member of Boko Haram recently. He managed to escape during the raid this morning," the 18-year-old woman said.

Boko Haram's insurgency, mainly in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north, has killed more than 1,000 people since mid-2009.