KANO, Nigeria: An explosive device went off Sunday on a main road in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri, days after a similar attack targeting troops in the stronghold of Boko Haram Islamists.

The blast at 10:15 am (0915 GMT) on Maiduguri's Bama Road involved an improvised explosive device and caused no casualties, said Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for a joint military taskforce.

"There was a blast along Bama road.... Troops have since cordoned, searched and swept the area," he said.

A resident identified as Haruna told AFP that a military patrol was the target and that soldiers began indiscriminately firing their weapons after the explosion, causing locals to flee.

Earlier this week, residents claimed as many as 30 people were killed during a rampage by soldiers after a bomb attack in the same area of Maiduguri. The military denied the accusations.

Boko Haram has repeatedly targeted the security services as part of its insurgency across northern and central Nigeria since 2010.

Boko Haram is blamed for killing more than 1,400 people in Nigeria since 2010. Maiduguri is considered the group's base.