A clash between Boko Haram fighters and Nigerian troops have left more than a dozen dead.

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“So far we have recovered 18 dead bodies from the two villages Bale Shuwa and Bale Kura,” State Emergency Management Agency's Bello Dambatto told AFP. "The victims were killed while trying to escape the fight between the insurgents and the military."

It remains unknown whether the bodies are those of villagers, extremists or soldiers. A BBC reports said another 83 sustained injuries during the attack.

Multiple blasts were heard in the area.

The deceased, according to the report, were caught during the exchange between the soldiers and the militants. The agency said more than two dozen Boko Haram militants launched an attack in the Northern region of the country on Sunday.

“Eighteen Boko Haram terrorists on foot attacked the military base while seven suicide bombers targeted residents of nearby Bale Shuwar and Alikaranti villages,” an officer, who asked not to be identified, said. 

The fighters targeted the sites in Borno State, trapping villagers who tried to escape the onslaught.

This is the biggest attack since the Nigeria government announced they were engaged in dialogue with the militant group.

Boko Haram has been responsible for the deaths of some 20,000 people and displacement of over two million since 2009.