Man confesses to Italy school bombing

A 68-year-old man has confessed to last month's bombing in front of a southern Italian school that killed a 16-year-old girl and wounded 10 others, but his motive is unclear and investigations are ongoing, police said.

Suspect Giovanni Vantaggiato confessed to having "manufactured, put in place and detonated the bomb" after he was arrested and interrogated for several hours in the southern city of Lecce, prosecutor Cataldo Motta told a news conference.

But Vantaggiato refused to explain his motive, making only a vague reference to economic reasons, Motta said.

The anti-mafia prosecutor added that Vantaggiato appeared to be mentally well, but the interrogation was still "not satisfactory" and the probe would continue.

Investigators initially suggested a local mafia group was responsible for the May 19 bomb that was detonated in front of a school in the southern port city of Brindisi.

Motta said police believed the attack was carried out by one person, but he did not say whether there were other suspects.