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State website of Italian region Apulia was attacked by the members of the international network of activists “Anonymous,” who protested against Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, Italian news agency ANSA reports.

However, the hackers could not get access to the server. According to the news agency’s report, “Anonymous” explains on its portal that the attack towards Apulia region is a part of the complaints about the energy policy, which harms the environment. They particularly mention TAP project. ANSA reports that the pipeline for transporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Italy caused the discontent of many ecologists, and the attack targeted the construction of a gas pipeline in Apulia.

“Anonymous” also calls to “mobilize the residents of the region for preventing the ecosystem destruction.” “It is already enough that our government contaminates the sea with its tankers and ships,” the statement of the “Anonymous” reads.

TAP is designed to transport natural gas from the Shah Deniz II field via Greece and Albania to Western Europe. Capacity of the pipeline is 10 billion cubic meters per year with the possibility of extension up to 20 billion, depending on supply and demand. TAP’s construction began in 2015 in order to start the supply of Azerbaijani gas in 2019. Remarkably, in December 2013, French company Total and Norway's Statoil refused to participate in the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline construction.

In 2014, protests were held in the region Apulia against TAP, a project sponsored by Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev. According to the project, a pipeline should go along the seaside cities Brindisi and Melendugno, which raised the locals’ discontent. Ecologists say the exploitation of the pipeline will do a serious harm to Apulia, which is included in UNESCO World Heritage list. However, the consortium ignores the assertion.