Bomb attack outside Italian school kills teenage girl and wounds seven The prosecutor, his wife and their three bodyguards were killed on May 23 1992, when the Sicilian Mafia planted half a tonne of explosives on the road between Palermo's airport and the city centre. As one of the most audacious challenges by the Sicilian mob to the power of the Italian state, it ultimately backfired, prompting a massive crackdown against their activities that eventually cost them their dominance against the rival Neapolitan and Calabrian gangs. The attack spread panic among pupils, and the force of the blast shattered windows in the school and surrounding buildings. An official at the Civil Protection Authority said it was unclear if one or two devices had exploded in the incident, but said: "Given the effect of the explosion, it appears that this was something quite powerful." The bomb, or bombs, appeared to have been left outside the school, either in rubbish bins or backpacks. Anti-mafia investigators are reported to be on their way to the scene, although the country has also seen a wave of bombings liinked to protests over the austerity crisis. Interior Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri announced plans several days ago to step up security around sensitive targets including official buildings after a series of threats against tax officials. Italy's main tax and fine collection agency, Equitalia, has been targeted by a series of small explosive devices amid a growing wave of public anger over the high taxes imposed to shore up public finances and combat the economic crisis. The head of Ansaldo Nucleare, a nuclear engineering company owned by defence technology group Finmeccanica, was shot in the leg in an attack claimed by an anarchist group, adding to concerns that extremist groups may try to exploit the public anger.