BOGOTA, Jan 20 (Reuters) -

Chinese miner Zijin has restarted gold production at its

major Buritica project in Colombia, a company source told

Reuters on Monday, following a pause to operations triggered by

an attack by an armed group a few days earlier.

Buritica is the South American nation's largest gold mine,

touting production of 8.3 metric tons in 2023, according to

company data.

It has previously been hit by attacks launched by illegal

miners.

"Operations have resumed, the affected substation was

repaired and power supply restored hours after the attack,"

according to the source at Zijin Continental Gold, the miner's

local unit.

The source, who is not authorized to speak to the media,

spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The early Friday incident, which the company blamed on

illegal miners seeking to take gold from the mine, did not cause

any deaths or injuries.

The Buritica mine is located in northwest Colombia,

about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Medellin, the country's

second-largest city.

Armed attacks that sometimes employ explosives against

workers and vehicles are often carried out by criminal groups

that operate in the area, including the Clan del Golfo.