BOGOTA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Zijin Mining has

paused production at its Buritica gold mine in Colombia after

assailants armed with homemade bombs damaged a key power source,

the company said on Saturday.

The attack occurred early Friday when the armed group broke

into the site, which is the largest gold mine in Colombia,

located in a rural area of the Antioquia province where road

blocks and attacks by illegal miners are frequent.

No injuries were reported. Zijin attributed the incident to

illegal miners who it said sought to obtain gold from the mine.

"High-powered homemade bombs were thrown at our underground

facilities, causing severe destruction of the electrical

substation and rendering the backup power source unusable,"

Zijin Continental Gold, the local unit of China-based Zijin,

said in a statement released on Saturday.

The attack also disrupted ventilation and drainage systems,

Zijin said.

Buritica produced 8.3 tons of gold in 2023, according to the

company. Previous attacks by illegal miners have also affected

operations at the mine.

Colombia's Mining Association said the attack was not an

isolated incident, and pointed to three other attacks at mines

in various parts of Colombia in the last month.

"This is evidence of a pattern of systematic violence to

control resources and perpetuate illegality," the group said in

a statement.