A heavily armed gang transformed a major Italian highway into a chaotic battleground Monday (February 9) during a brazen daylight robbery attempt that ended in a shootout with police and a high-speed chase.
The dramatic attack unfolded shortly before 8 a.m. on State Road 613, the main route connecting Brindisi and Lecce in southern Italy’s Puglia region. Between six and ten masked robbers, some impersonating police with vehicles equipped with flashing blue lights, ambushed an armored cash transport vehicle belonging to the Battistolli Group.
To stop the armored van, the attackers created what witnesses described as a “wall of flames” by positioning vehicles across the highway and setting them ablaze. Dramatic footage captured by motorists shows the bandits crouching behind cars as they detonated explosives on the armored vehicle, sending it airborne amid billowing flames and debris.
Despite the powerful blast, a foam-based security mechanism inside the van was triggered, ultimately thwarting the robbery attempt. The criminals were unable to access any cash.
When Carabinieri patrols arrived at the scene, a firefight erupted. Armed with Kalashnikov rifles and shotguns, the suspects exchanged gunfire with officers, using vehicles for cover. One police car was struck by three bullets, and an unmarked vehicle was rammed during the pursuit.
The suspects fled by carjacking passing motorists and reportedly scattered metal spikes across the road to puncture the tires of pursuing vehicles. Authorities later intercepted an Alfa Romeo traveling at high speed and found it abandoned in the countryside. Two suspects were arrested after attempting to flee on foot, while at least two others remain at large.
Miraculously, no injuries were reported among police, security guards, or civilians, despite the violence and presence of terrified motorists trapped on the highway.
Authorities have launched a major manhunt, including helicopter surveillance, and warned of heightened police presence and checkpoints across the region as investigations continue.
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