At least five civilians and four suspected Boko Haram insurgents were killed in a series of gun attacks in northern Nigeria’s largest city of Kano on Sunday, reports have said.

Officials confirmed to Reuters that members of the radical Boko Haram sect had attempted to attack a mosque near Bayero University on Sunday evening before they were engaged in a gun duel with police forces.

Police commissioner in the state, Ibrahim Idris, said four members of the sect were killed in the attacks. He adds that gunmen, suspected to be members of the sect, had gone on a rampage earlier, killing five people in two separate attacks in other areas of Kano.

Military spokesman, Lt. Ikediche Iweha, said the gunmen on motorbikes had targeted airforce staff in one of the attacks.

The sect has been known to target security personnel since its bloody insurgence began in 2009. Over 1,500 people have been killed in attacks carried out by the sect, most of which have targeted the northern part of the country.