An attack on a Nigerian police station was carried out by Boko Haram militants, police told CNN Saturday.

Friday’s attack, which police repelled but suffered one casualty, is the latest in a wave of violence by the Islamist group.

The Mandawari police station is in Nigeria’s Kano province.

Military forces have since cordoned off the area around the provincial capital city of Kano, according to witnesses. Gunfire and tracer rounds could be heard and seen during the incident, according to CNN personnel in the area.

Analysis of the increasing violence

This week, the country’s inspector general of police was fired amid a rash of violence across Nigeria. In a single day this month, at least 211 people were killed in the city of Kano — an attack linked to Boko Haram, which has carried out multiple bombings and shootings across the north.

On Thursday, gunmen shot and killed at least 16 people and burned their bodies in the northwestern state of Zamfara, according to an official who asked not to be named, citing security concerns.

CNN Photos

The incident occurred when about 100 armed men blocked a nearby highway, delaying vehicle traffic and taking hostages in the area, a restive region that borders Niger.

Some of the hostages stormed the gunmen, resulting in a deadly shootout, the official said.

Source : http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/28/world/africa/nigeria-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t3