Nigeria's military said on Sunday that 11 members of a radical Islamist sect were killed in a shootout the previous night, while residents claimed that civilians were shot by soldiers.

The shootout in the northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday night followed a bomb attack on a patrol team in which "some buildings and vehicles were destroyed," according to a military statement.

"The attack was successfully repelled...and 11 members of the sect were killed while two members of the (military task force) were injured," Colonel Victor Ebhaleme said.

However, residents of the neighbourhood where the alleged sect members carried out the attack accused soldiers of shooting innocent civilians and burning homes for suspected collusion.

The shootout with suspected members of the Boko Haram sect occurred on Saturday night. On Sunday, an explosion near a church in the town of Suleija on the outskirts of the capital Abuja killed at least two people, though the source of the explosion remained unclear.

"The soldiers went berserk and broke into homes, shooting male residents and evicting women and setting homes ablaze as a punishment for what they called connivance with Boko Haram in attacking them," one resident told AFP by phone.

"All the residents of Kalari (neighbourhood) fled the area last night after the attack for fear of harassment by the (military). The area has been cordoned off by soldiers."

"Many people were shot by soldiers who forced their ways into homes attacking people," said a woman who said she fled her home in the area.

In the statement, the military task force accused residents of the city of collaborating with Boko Haram members by allowing their premises to be used to launch attacks on security personnel.

They alleged some residents had "prior information" on the attack on Saturday.

"The public is again reminded of the implication of such collaboration as it will be dealt with appropriately," said the statement.

The sect has been blamed for a raft of shootings and bomb attacks that have intensified in recent weeks. Most of the violence has occurred in Maiduguri.

Hundreds of troops were deployed to the city recently on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan.

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