Three Italian police officers killed in explosion during farmhouse eviction

Three Italian police officers were killed and at least 13 others injured when a targeted explosion destroyed a farmhouse during an eviction attempt near Verona overnight.

Authorities have arrested two men and one woman, all siblings in their 60s who faced financial difficulties, suspected of intentionally igniting gas cylinders as officers entered the property in Castel d'Azzano.

The lethal blast occurred when police forced open the front door of the building, which investigators said had been deliberately filled with gas.

Provincial police commander Claudio Papagno described: "It was like confronting an act of absolute madness as the explosion directly struck officers attempting to execute the court-ordered eviction."

The siblings had previously threatened to detonate the property during earlier removal attempts.

Verona's chief prosecutor Raffaele Tito confirmed the suspects face premeditated murder charges, with authorities considering additional mass killing counts.

The investigation revealed the family had barricaded themselves inside the abandoned building for months and previously threatened a court-appointed custodian with self-immolation, prompting the authorized search that discovered Molotov cocktails on the roof.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed "dismay and deep sorrow" over the deaths, praising the daily sacrifices of law enforcement personnel.