ABUJA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were killed and around 70 others wounded in Boko Haram militants' clashes with Nigerian soldiers in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, local media reported Monday.

Sounds of sporadic gunshots and multiple explosions which lasted for hours on Sunday night were heard from the outskirts of the city, according to the official News Agency of Nigeria.

The Boko Haram terrorists reportedly attacked Bale-Shuwa and Bale-Kura communities near Maiduguri, capital of the northern state of Borno, in an attempt to infiltrate the city.

A security source said the Boko Haram fighters parked their vehicles few meters away from a military checkpoint and sneaked into the community.

The source confirmed that dozens of people including women and children were wounded from the explosion and gunshots as the soldiers engaged in fierce gun battle with the terrorists who detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and shot sporadically.

Another source said bodies were not immediately evacuated from the place of the attack, due to darkness.