Armed gang blasts open cash-in-transit van on state road 16 in Foggia province

The attack on the armored van

On the morning of 10 November, an armored van operated by the company Battistolli was attacked on state road 16 (SS16) between Cerignola and San Ferdinando di Puglia, in Foggia province. Messaggero puts the attack at around 8:30 and says the van was heading toward Foggia. Rai reports that the attackers numbered roughly ten people, all armed and with their faces covered. Messaggero locates the stretch of road on the boundary between Foggia province and the Barletta-Andria-Trani province.

How the gang operated

According to first reconstructions cited by Rai, the group first set several vehicles on fire and placed them across the carriageway to block traffic. They then stopped the armored van and tried to force open its cargo compartment using explosives and cutting tools. Messaggero describes the same blockade method and says the blast was aimed at the van's rear shutter. Fanpage adds a detail that no other outlet reports: the gang also stopped passing motorists, ordered them out at gunpoint and set their cars alight before fleeing.

What is still unknown

None of the four outlets confirmed whether the attackers got away with any money. Rai says investigators are working to reconstruct the exact sequence and to establish whether any cash was taken, and no figure for the amount has been reported. ANSA reported that no one was reportedly injured. Fanpage said it appeared certain that no one had been hurt, despite the use of explosives and the burning of vehicles. Because these accounts come from early reconstructions, the details may change as the investigation proceeds.

Police response and traffic

Carabinieri from the Foggia provincial command reached the scene and began their inquiries and on-site surveys, according to Rai. The attack caused heavy disruption to traffic along the road linking the northern Bari area with the Foggia area. Rai notes that the method of burning vehicles to isolate the zone and slow the response resembles earlier raids in the area. Messaggero and Fanpage both report that the robbers fled after the attack, and no arrests have been reported in the coverage so far.