(ANSA) - Venice, March 17 - There were moments of panic in Venice's St Mark's Square on Friday when a gang of robbers set off two big smoke bombs to provide cover as they attempted a hold-up on a jewelry.

One was set off near the bell tower and another in the centre of the square, creating huge amounts of smoke and causing people to run for cover, amid fear it was a terrorist attack, sources said.

Carabinieri and State police arrived quickly and the robbers fled before they could pull off the heist.

