Nigerian security forces stand guard at a damaged primary school after a bomb explosion.
A police corporal was also killed in the drawn-out clash which occurred late Tuesday, said Ibrahim Idris on Thursday, police commissioner for the state, also called Kano.
The militants had planned coordinated attacks at several locations, including police stations and schools, around the country's second-largest city, Idris said.
"During the gun duel, the superior power of police killed 10 of the extremists" in the city's Dala Division, he said.
"They abandoned their motor vehicles – a Golf car and bus containing large quantity of drugs and syringes, 10 undetonated explosives and some drugs for first aid were also discovered."
The security forces killed another seven militants at a police outpost, said Ikedichi Iweha, spokesperson for the Kano Joint Security Task Force, in a press statement.
One police officer was killed as the attackers detonated several bombs and tried to access the outpost's arms depot.
"Their plans to loot the arms store were, however, foiled by the swift response of security forces," he said.
He compared Tuesday's incident to the January 20 attacks across Kano state.
Two weeks ago in Kaduna, about 200km south-west of Kano city, more than 60 people were killed in multiple church attacks. – Sapa-dpa