Nigerian troops raid Boko Haram bomb factory

Nigerian troops raided an alleged hideout on Tuesday in the northern city of Kano suspected to have been used by group Boko Haram to manufacture bombs, a military spokesman said.

A military task force stormed the hideout in the city and recovered six assembled bombs and another one under construction, Lieutenant Iweha Ikedichi told reporters.

"You can see the IEDs (improvised explosive devices) we recovered in this operation which were intended for attacks on this city by the Boko Haram terrorists," Ikedichi said, showing the bombs to reporters after the operation.

The bombs were made with drink cans and a drum of around 50 litres.

He said several suspects were arrested during the raid, but refused to give further information.

According to authorities, Boko Haram has in recent weeks resorted to drive-by shootings in the city following a clampdown by security agents on their hideouts and arrests of its members.

A soldier, a retired police officer and the son of a police officer were among around a dozen people killed in targeted attacks blamed on the Islamists in the past two weeks.

"We have put the sect under intense pressure due to security operations that have led to successful raids of their hideouts, which is why they resorted to targeted killings," a senior security source told AFP.

However, previous raids and high-profile arrests have failed to stop Boko Haram attacks despite claims from authorities. The group has long carried out a range of attacks, including bombings and shootings.

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

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