A bomb exploded Thursday night outside the home of Italian investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, damaging two vehicles, including one belonging to his daughter, in the coastal suburb of Campo Ascolano near Rome.
The blast, which occurred around 10 p.m., rattled the neighborhood and left no one injured.
Ranucci, 64, host of the investigative TV program Report, described the attack on Instagram: “Two explosive devices destroyed cars parked in front of a house in Campo Ascolano. The explosions were so powerful they shook the entire neighborhood.”
His daughter had left the area just 20 minutes before the blast.
Authorities, including DIGOS officers, firefighters, and anti-mafia prosecutors, launched an investigation into what they are treating as criminal damage “aggravated by mafia methods,” according to Italian news agency ANSA.
The Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) in Rome, led by prosecutor Carlo Villani and deputy prosecutor Ilaria Calo, is handling the case.
“This was a rudimentary device, but we must now determine the type of explosive,” Ranucci said, noting that he and his family have faced “numerous threats” over the years.
The journalist has lived under police protection since 2014 after receiving death threats linked to his reporting on organized crime.
Italian leaders swiftly condemned the attack. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called it “a very serious, cowardly, and unacceptable act” that strikes at “the very freedom of information.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed “full solidarity with journalist Sigfrido Ranucci and the strongest condemnation of the serious act of intimidation,” while Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described the event as “of unprecedented and unacceptable gravity.”
National broadcaster Rai, where Ranucci hosts Report, called the bombing “a serious and cowardly act of intimidation.” CEO Giampaolo Rossi reaffirmed the network’s commitment to protecting journalistic freedom.
Ranucci, known for exposing corruption and organized crime in Italy, recently reported new threats, including finding P38 bullets outside his home and suspicious surveillance.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though mafia links are being considered.
Residents of Campo Ascolano reported hearing two consecutive, deafening explosions, while Ranucci, who was inside his home at the time, is now under renewed police protection.
“I still cannot make sense of what happened. I have only pieced together a few things from recent months,” Ranucci said.
Report has been broadcast weekly since 2017 and has won multiple awards for its investigative work into Italy’s political and criminal underworld.
