The Interior Ministry reported late on Saturday that armed men invaded Peru's Poderosa mine with explosives and abducted hostages, leaving nine dead and fifteen injured.
The ministry said in a statement that police had "taken control of the situation," that seven persons had been taken into custody, and that weapons had been recovered. It also stated that special troops had been dispatched to the region to assist local police.
Using explosive charges, the assailants broke into the mine shaft and "violently confronted internal security personnel from the company and took four people hostage," according to the ministry.
The incident occurred a year after Marxist former President Pedro Castillo was impeached and arrested, setting off months of violent protests that disrupted operations at the Andean nation's mines.
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Peru is a significant producer of gold and silver as well as the second-largest producer of copper in the world.
