Up to 185 people were killed, 2,000 houses razed and 486 motorcycles damaged in clashes between the Nigerian military and the Boko Haram militant sect in a border town, according to the latest information from a local official.

Malam Ali, head of the town of Baga in the northeastern state of Borno, made the revelation on Monday in a report to State Governor Kashim Shettima, who was on an assessment tour after Friday’s fighting, one of the most deadliest since the sect launched insurgency in 2009.

The governor later donated a sum of cash and relief materials to the victims of the confrontation and pledged to pay medical bills for the injured.

He directed the caretaker chairman of the area to convey those with serious injuries to state capital Maiduguri for proper medical attention.

“We are going to convey those with serious injuries to Maiduguri for further medical attention at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH),” he said.

General Austin Edokpaye, the commander of the Multi National Joint Task Force, denied that the military engaged in massive killing of people amid rumors.

Edokpaye told reporters that the flare erupted after a patrol van of the task force was attacked by militants on Friday evening.

“A patrol team of the task force was attacked by suspected terrorists on Friday evening killing one soldier and injuring two others,” he declared, adding that the exchange of fire lasted about four hours.

The military chief said the clash spread to many areas as the soldiers pursued the terrorists who used sophisticated weapons.

He did not the rule out the possibility that the exchange of fire might have led to losses of innocent lives.

The raid by Boko Haram came barely 72 hours after Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan approved a plan to set up a 26-member committee for dialogue with key members of Boko Haram, so as to define a comprehensive and workable framework for resolving the crisis in the northern part of the West African country.

Based in Borno State, the sect has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks for the past years.