Carabiniere died after being stabbed near Castel S. Angelo in Rome.

A 35-year-old police officer has died after being stabbed while on duty in the Prati district of Rome, near Piazza Cavour, in the early hours of 26 July.

The victim, Mario Rega Cerciello, a vice brigadier in the carabinieri, was stabbed after stopping two men for questioning in relation to the earlier theft of a handbag and a subsequent extortion attempt.

The police officer, who was with several colleagues, was stabbed eight times and later died of his wounds at the nearby S. Spirito hospital.

A manhunt is now underway for the two unidentified men, described by police as north African, in relation to the murder on Via Pietro Cossa.

Italy's defence minister Elisabetta Trenta expressed her condolences to the family of the police officer, who got married last month, calling for "zero tolerance for the criminals who have committed this vile act."

Italy's interior minister and deputy premier Matteo Salvini used stronger terms, tweeting: "Manhunt in Rome to stop the bastard who killed a carabiniere last night by stabbing. I am sure they will catch him and that he will pay for his violence until the end: forced labour in prison as long as he lives."