The sources said the death toll could increase as a number of soldiers were still missing after the attack on Thursday in Damboa, in Borno state in northeastern Nigeria.
Boko Haram militants have killed thousands and displaced millions in Nigeria during the group’s decade-long insurgency against the government.
The general commanding officer, Brigadier General Bulama Biu, confirmed a confrontation between troops and Boko Haram, but said there was “no casualty on the part of troops.”
Three military sources and three fighters with armed vigilante group Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) said the bodies of five soldiers had been recovered, and that 16 fighters, including 14 soldiers and two civilians, were injured. The sources said multiple fighters are still missing