Eight people have been killed in northeastern Nigeria in an attack by the Boko Haram militant group.

On Tuesday, a Nigerian security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that the attack occurred in Gwoza, a village in the northeastern state of Borno, late on Monday.

The official said Boko Haram gunmen killed seven civilians and one police inspector after they arrived in two trucks.

A resident of Gwoza said the attack targeted a bank and the police station in the village.

On Sunday, the Nigerian military's Joint Task Force (JTF) killed 20 members of Boko Haram in the northeast of the country.

In a statement issued after the incident, JTF spokesman Sagir Musa said, “Boko Haram attempted to attack a military barracks (in Borno) today, at about 5:00 am (0400 GMT)… The attack was repelled.”

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly gun and bomb attacks in various parts of Nigeria since 2009.

Human rights groups report that violent actions by Boko Haram since mid-2009 have claimed more than 1,000 lives, including over 300 in 2012.