A brazen daytime attempted robbery unfolded along the main highway linking Brindisi and Lecce in Italy’s Puglia region, where masked, heavily armed assailants ambushed an armored cash transit vehicle on Monday morning.
According to video footage shared on social media, a group of at least six men – some wearing white and black overalls and masks – blocked both directions of State Road 613 near Tuturano by setting fire to a van and a truck, creating a fiery barricade.
The attackers, some driving vehicles fitted with blue flashing lights to mimic police, fired rifles during the assault. The gang then detonated explosives on the armored van, belonging to the Battistolli Group’s BTV security service, in an attempt to breach it.
Dramatic clips show the vehicle’s doors and roof being blown off amid thick smoke. However, the armored van’s internal security features reportedly prevented the theft of the cash inside.
Carabinieri units who responded engaged in a shootout with the suspects as they fled, with at least one police vehicle struck by gunfire.
Assalto a un portavalori sulla statale 613 Brindisi-Lecce. Durante la fuga, i rapinatori aprono il fuoco contro un’auto dei #Carabinieri intervenuti. Fermate dai militari dell’Arma due persone ritenute coinvolte nell’episodio nelle campagne di Squinzano (LE)#PossiamoAIutarvipic.twitter.com/gmQlmpa6u1
— Arma dei Carabinieri (@_Carabinieri_) February 9, 2026
No fatalities or serious injuries were reported. Authorities temporarily closed the highway for investigations and debris removal, as forensic teams combed the scene.
Law enforcement later arrested two suspects, both from the Foggia area, after a pursuit near Squinzano, while a manhunt for the remaining members continues.