According to local media, the alleged Boko Haram ambush happened in the northeastern corner of Borno state, towards the border with Chad.
Widely read Punch newspaper, citing a high ranking military source, said the military failed to send aerial support for the soldiers who were ambushed.
According to the paper, the failure to send air support has led to anger among soldiers involved in the pursuit of Boko Haram.
Since the offensive was launched, Boko Haram has been blamed for massacres that left dozens of students of dead, as well as the mass killing of Muslims gathering for morning prayers, among other attacks.
The Islamists have also repeatedly clashed with vigilante groups which have formed in Borno.
Boko Haram has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, but its aims have shifted and the group is believed to consist of different factions.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation and top oil producer, with a mostly Christian south and a predominately Muslim north.
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