Bomb explodes at Sardinian town hall

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 16 - A high-powered bomb exploded Friday night in front of the entrance to Ottana town hall, in the Nuoro area, local sources said Saturday.
    Serious damage was caused to the façade and some offices.
    Police said the bomb was built with 3-4 kilos of high explosives and caused huge damage to the exterior of the building and the ground floor, blowing out windows and doors and scattering furniture.
    The building did not, however, suffer structural damage and was judged by an initial examination to be usable, although tests on the upper floors will be completed on Monday morning.
    Police have already acquired security camera footage at the time of the incident.
    Mayor Franco Saba has received the solidarity of colleagues and friends and the prefect of Nuoro, Giancarlo Dionisi, has called a meeting of the public safety and security committee for Monday morning.
    "What happened is an extremely serious incident and I expressed my deepest sympathy to the town's first citizen," Prefect Dionisi told ANSA.
    "On Monday we will assess the situation at the public safety committee, but what I can say already is that this is not a 'hot' zone: the last bomb against an administrator dates back to 2010, so this was a bolt from the blue.
    "Naturally we will go into the matter in depth both to reach a solution to the case as soon as possible, and to understand what is lurking beneath this attack in this town".
    Saba, the mayor, told Italian TV: "Ottana does not deserve this, and we will continue to work as we have always done.
    "I'm very disappointed, and with me the whole administration. If someone has something to complain about let them do so publicly, let them demonstrate that we are not doing a good job." Sardinia's new Governor Alessandra Todde said "this was a cowardly attack on the whole community." She said "violence cannot and must not find space in our society and our communities.
    "I express closeness and solidarity with the mayor and with all the citizens of Ottana." Police said the "grave initimidatory act" was not linked to upcoming elections in 28 Sardinian towns, since Ottana is not one of them.
    Investigators have also ruled out any link to ongoing protests in the Nuoro area against the installation of renewable energy plants. (ANSA).