A car belonging to renowned Italian investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci exploded outside his home overnight, triggering an anti-Mafia investigation and widespread condemnation from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and media groups. No injuries were reported.

The blast late Thursday in Pomezia, south of Rome, destroyed Ranucci’s car, damaged another vehicle and his front gate. Police said the explosion occurred just after Ranucci returned home, noting his daughter had passed by the area only half an hour earlier.

Ranucci, host of RAI3’s acclaimed investigative program Report, has been under police protection since 2021 due to repeated threats over his reporting. Footage he recorded showed the mangled wreckage of the vehicles.

Authorities from Rome’s anti-Mafia district are leading the probe, as the attack coincided with the eighth anniversary of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination by car bomb.

Prime Minister Meloni condemned the incident as “a serious act of intimidation,” affirming that “freedom and independence of information are essential values of democracy.” Journalists’ unions and politicians across Italy expressed solidarity with Ranucci, who said he and his team face “a climate of isolation and delegitimization.”

Report frequently exposes corruption involving Italian politicians and business figures. Ranucci, who has faced numerous defamation suits, was acquitted in one earlier this week.