LIMA (Reuters) -Nine people were killed and 15 injured after armed men raided Peru's Poderosa mine with explosives and took hostages, the Interior Ministry said late on Saturday.
Police have "taken control of the situation", seven people have been arrested and weapons seized, the ministry said in a statement, adding it had ordered special forces to the area to support local police.
The attackers entered the mine shaft, using explosive charges, "violently confronting internal security personnel from the company and taking four people hostage", the ministry said.
Peru is the world's second-largest producer of copper, and an important silver and gold producer.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard)
Persons:
Peru's, Pedro Castillo, Marco Aquino, Lincoln, William Mallard
Organizations:
Reuters, Interior Ministry, Saturday . Police
Locations:
LIMA, Peru, Lima, Bengaluru