Mosque attack in Nigeria leaves at least 44 dead, police official says

Plateau State, Nigeria (CNN) -- Gunmen attacked a mosque in the Nigerian town of Konduga with automatic weapons, killing at least 44 people, a police official in Konduga told CNN on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The mosque is in Konduga town, about 30 kilometers (almost 19 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno State. Borno is in northern Nigeria.

The attack happened Sunday morning, but the details are just now emerging.

The Islamic militant group Boko Haram has carried out attacks in this area before, though police are still investigating this incident.

With an estimated 174.5 million people, Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation. The CIA Factbook says the nation is roughly 50% Muslim and 40% Christian. Violence between the mainly Muslim north and Christian south has taken at least 2,800 lives, according to Human Rights watch.