Gold miners attack indigenous village in Amazon, clash with police

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows a wildcat gold miner, or garimpeiro, as he uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material at a wildcat mine, also known as garimpo, at a deforested area of Amazon rainforest near Crepurizao, in the municipality of Itaituba, Para State, Brazil, August 2, 2017. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Wildcat gold miners illegally prospecting on protected indigenous lands in the Amazon fired on a Munduruku village and burned down the house of one of its leaders on Wednesday, Brazil's main indigenous organization said.

Federal Police said the gold miners then tried to invade the local police post and wreck vehicles and helicopters that are being used in an ongoing operation against the miners, police said in a statement.