The Italian government on Sunday tightened security measures and anti-terrorism controls across the peninsula following Muammar Gaddafi's recent threats against Italy.

Gaddafi earlier said NATO bombings of Libya are a crime and the scene of warfare will move to Italy. "Between us and Italy war has been opened. My friend Silvio Berlusconi committed a crime by permitting the Italian bombings. This is an attempt for a new Italian colonialism," Gaddafi said on state TV Sunday.

"War must now move to Italian territory - that is what Libyans want, and I cannot oppose them," the Libyan leader said.

Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said on Sunday that Gaddafi's menace of bringing war on Italian soil "was not just mere propaganda and must not to be underevaluated", according to local television Rai.

"Gaddafi's words confirm that the situation is very serious and must be closely monitored across the entire territory. We have already increased controls and are aware that several thousands of Libyans were sent here in recent years by the regime," he added.

Maroni warned that the recent killing of Gaddafi's youngest son Saif al-Arab in a NATO airstrike was "surely to make Gaddafi even more angry" and push him towards some sort of retaliation against the allies, especially Italy.