Last night in Viterbo , tradition was broken. The transport of the Macchina di Santa Rosa , which traditionally passes through the city with the lights off, was this time carried out with the lights on . And for a very specific reason: in the afternoon around 6:00 PM , the Digos ( Special Operations Division) arrested two men of Turkish origin. They had with them a machine gun and other weapons . They also had a detailed plan with weapons ready to fire. The decision to keep the lights on, given without explanation for the foiled attack, sparked protests from the residents of Viterbo. Also attending the event were Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani , Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, Vice President of the European Parliament Antonella Sberna , Arianna Meloni , and MP Mauro Rotelli . All were transported to safety before the raid. Investigations into the possibility of a suspected terrorist attack are underway, but there are still no confirmations. Meanwhile, the possibility of arms trafficking is also emerging.
The foiled attack in Viterbo
According to police estimates, Il Messaggero reports today , there were 40,000 people in the historic center of Viterbo. Meanwhile, two Turkish citizens were staying in a bed and breakfast on the central Via di Santa Rosa . They are likely linked to the criminal network of Turkish boss Baris Boyun . The street is located on the slope leading to the final point of the Transport , which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site . The Turks had likely planned to open fire on the crowd. During the search, a machine gun and two pistols, loaded and ready for use, were seized. The commando consisted of three people. One managed to escape. The two arrested did not want to answer the prosecutor’s questions.
Snipers on the roofs
In the Lazio town, the security committee was urgently convened. The NOCs , snipers on the rooftops, and bomb-sniping dog units were deployed . Head porter Luigi Aspromonte announced the transport with the lights on. Halfway through the journey, the lights were turned off. But no mention of the attack was made to avoid causing panic. Last year, the police dismantled a cell of Boyun ‘s network . He was arrested on May 22, 2024, in Bagnaia, along with some of his accomplices. Then, on August 25 , Ismail Atiz was arrested , also in a rooming house. Atiz is accused of money laundering, extortion, threats, damage, and use of firearms.
The Turkish mafia
Boyun is a Turkish mafia boss. And counterterrorism officials uncovered the Santa Rosa plot by following the trail of the last arrested man. This led to the discovery of the cell based in the capital of Tuscia. The two arrested men reportedly have no criminal record in Italy, but they are linked to Turkish organized crime. They are also seeking links to the world of Islamic fundamentalism, and to ISIS Khorasan , the jihadist cell of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , the self-proclaimed emir of the ” Islamic State , ” eliminated by a US raid in Syria at the end of October 2019. It was said that the ISIS -K cell had planned an attack on Pope Francis after his visit to Trieste a year ago.
The arrests
The news was later denied . The prosecutor’s office, together with the Italian secret service, arrested Hasan Uzun , 46, a Turkish citizen who had fled to Switzerland a few days ago . In Viterbo ‘s Mammagialla prison , there was also a Tunisian citizen who had led a prison riot and was included on the list of 115 Islamic extremists expelled from Italy. He was proselytizing among young North Africans.
