Rome: Two Indian men were shot dead in Italy's Covo just as they were leaving the warehouse used as a place of worship, local media reported on Sunday. 

The incident occurred on Friday, a few minutes before midnight, near Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur Ji in the industrial area of Bergamo town of the Lombardy region. The victims have been identified as Raginder Singh, 48, a resident of Covo, and Gurmit Singh, from Agnadello, Italian daily La Sicilia reported.

The assailant approached the men, opened fire and then fled from the spot in a car. According to initial findings, a sudden brawl that escalated into bloodshed has been ruled out and instead suggests a rapid and lethal attack. Approximately ten shell casings were found at the site of the incident, far more than was "necessary" to target the two victims, as authorities investigate the "hypothesis of a coldly planned execution", it said.

The shooter was "an Indian" who also frequented the gurdwara, La Sicilia reported, citing a witness. The same witnesses said that a third person was also grazed by bullets during the attack. An official celebration for Vaisakhi was planned nearby on Saturday.

Sikh community members in Lombardy and Bergamo have been shocked by the incident. The bodies of the victims have been taken to Pavia for the autopsy, La Sicilia reported. An investigation is underway into the incident, with video surveillance images being examined, witnesses being interviewed, and evidence being analysed.

Covo Mayor Andrea Cappelletti has described the local Sikh community as an "integrated" and peaceful community which has been living in the area for 15 years without ever creating public order problems.