First they asked him for a cigarette, then he found a box cutter held to his throat. It was a terrifying moment for a 21-year-old from Cagliari, who said he was the victim of an attempted attack by two young foreigners .

Gabriele Orrù, a piano student at the Sassari Conservatory, was walking back to his grandparents' house in Cabras on Sunday when, halfway across the Brabau bridge, he was approached by two foreign youths on scooters. "They asked me if I had a cigarette," he said, "I stopped and said I only had an e-cigarette." One of the two men immediately approached, suggested a hug, "and I found myself with a box cutter pointed at my throat.

I stood there, they searched my pockets and sat me on the floor,” the 21-year-old added. “They took my cell phone, they also checked my backpack and wallet, but I only had my credit cards. Afterwards, they gave me my cell phone back, tidying up everything in my bag. Maybe they were looking for cash, but I didn't have any .”

The boys exchanged another greeting, but then Gabriele Orrù reacted. "I saw one of them approaching again, but I managed to trip him. He fell, and I ran away," he said. "Once I reached the roundabout, I called the police." The boy will file a complaint in the coming days; the police have begun an investigation into the incident.

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