THESSALONIKI, Greece: About 40 masked attackers have raided the facilities of a prospective gold mine in northern Greece overnight, setting machinery and offices alight.

There is strong opposition to a gold mine and processing plant being built at Skouries in the Halkidiki peninsula, with locals objecting to what they say will be an environmental destruction.

The mining comany, Hellas Gold, is 90 percent owned by Canadian mining company Eldorado Gold. The Greek government has been eager for the foreign investment as it struggles through a deep financial crisis.

Firefighters and police said the intruders entered the facility before dawn Sunday, using gasoline bombs and flamable liquid to set alight machinery and containers used as offices. One security guard was kicked and taken to hospital.