They couldn't have exploded; they were simply a diversion. The two gas cylinders found along the main access road to Prato Sardo, with some electrical wires to simulate a bomb, were completely harmless: empty, without charge, no explosive potential. A fake device, in short, artfully constructed to sow panic and slow down rescue efforts.
The staging is part of a larger criminal action, which began around 3 a.m., when a commando of perhaps six people attacked the State Monopolies warehouse.
Two stolen vans, one of which was used as a battering ram to break down the entrance , allowed the criminals to enter the facility and steal an as-yet-unspecified quantity of manufactured tobacco, potentially of very high value. During their escape, nails were thrown into the asphalt to hinder any potential pursuers.
But that's not all: the road was physically blocked with two chains stretched between a central pole and the guard rails, and blocked with white sheets bearing a threatening message in red: "Block the plants or we'll block the industries." Investigators say this gesture has no real weight, but rather was merely an attempt to divert attention, a diversion.
The road was reopened around 9 a.m., limited to the stretch starting from the barracks. Meanwhile, the disruption has been severe: all ARST buses from Nuoro to Sassari, Cagliari, and school buses have been cancelled, with significant repercussions also on the city's waste collection service, newspaper distribution, and even bread distribution, for example, in many supermarkets. The Nuoro Police Headquarters' Flying Squad and patrol cars are investigating the incident. No avenues have been ruled out.