Overview
- Masked attackers posing as police blocked State Road 613 between Lecce and Brindisi with burning vehicles, then used explosives on the BTV cash van as motorists filmed the assault.
- Carabinieri exchanged fire with the gang and later detained two suspects, reported as ages 38 and 62, after they abandoned an Alfa Romeo near Squinzano; prosecutors plan charges including attempted murder and possession of war weapons, according to RAI reports cited by outlets.
- Colonel Cristian Marello said the van’s Spumablock system activated after the blast, foiling the theft, while investigators examine claims that some stranded motorists were also robbed during the chaos.
- Several accomplices escaped and a regional manhunt continues with checkpoints and aerial support, with authorities noting indications the group hails from the Foggia area known for armoured‑vehicle raids.
- Reports on injuries conflict, with many outlets noting no casualties and others citing at least one wounded officer, as unions and Battistolli highlight a rise in militarised attacks on cash‑in‑transit vehicles.