Explosion and Shootout Mark High-Stakes Armored-Van Heist on Italy’s SR 613

Masked attackers impersonated police to stop an armored van on Italy’s SR 613 (Brindisi–Lecce Tuturano), triggering a massive explosion that blasted the van’s side. A gunfight with Carabinieri followed as the suspects fled, with two arrests made nearby and the Alfa Romeo used in the stop recovered; authorities say four to ten suspects were involved and that the raid may be linked to organized-crime activity. No injuries were reported, and reports of the haul vary, with some sources claiming a significant sum and others noting an attempted robbery that failed. Previous armored-vehicluar attacks in Calabria and Abruzzo in recent months are cited in ongoing investigations.