Police in northern Nigeria say seven people have been killed during a shootout with suspected members of the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.

Authorities said late Sunday the shootout happened Saturday in the city of Kano, after one of the suspects discovered his house was under surveillance and called on other members to attack police. Four militants and three policemen were among the dead.

Police say they have carried out operations against Boko Haram in recent days, arresting 14 people and seizing guns and explosives from several sites.

Boko Haram has been blamed for staging multiple attacks over the past year as part of a campaign to implement strict Islamic Shariah law across the central African country's northern sector.

In August, Boko Haram was blamed for a suicide bombing at the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, the capital, which left at least two dozen people dead.