"They came in around 7 p.m. and opened fire indiscriminately with RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), explosives and AK-47 rifles," said Mainok resident Yahaya Umar. "They killed 39 people who were buried this morning and destroyed the whole town."
Boko Haram has attacked Mainok several times over the past two years, including a raid in July that killed 25 people there.
Boko Haram is an Islamist militant group that has waged a campaign of violence in northeastern Nigeria, trying to impose its strict version of Sharia, or Islamic law.
In its statement, the military said that troops and terrorists clashed around Mainok, resulting in an unspecified number of deaths on each side. The soldiers were in pursuit of people who carried out an attack in Buni Yadi last week, the military said.
Police authorities were not available for comment on the attack in Mainok, which came soon after two explosions in Maiduguri, 50 kilometers away.
"We were just lamenting the twin blasts in Maiduguri at the soccer viewing center when the Boko Haram gunmen arrived and started firing volleys of RPGs and guns," Abdullahi Gana said. The Mainok resident added that some of the victims were burnt in their homes while others were shot as they tried to flee.
The Maiduguri blasts happened about two minutes apart, as a crowd watched soccer on television there as well, said Maiduguri resident Goni Kakani.
"It is difficult to say how many people died in the blasts, but you are talking of dozens of dead people," said resident Babagoni Hassan.
A security official said it was not immediately clear how many people had been injured or killed.
Mechanic Dahiru Sadiq said he and his customers ran for their lives after hearing the explosions.
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