Hundreds of Schools in Italy Evacuated After Bomb Threat Emails

Bomb threats against schools in Italy, Northern Ireland and Scotland, Digi Mart USA News: Around 300 schools in Italy received bomb threats by email, according to Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who spoke on television. In several cities, students, teachers and staff were evacuated.

Media reports say the threats were empty. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reportedly given the all-clear and said there is no “concrete danger.” The Italian news agency Ansa quoted Meloni as saying that police and authorities were working “at every level to reassure residents, families and school staff.” She said the threat emails appeared to be “part of a strategy aimed at fueling panic and concern.”

Valditara said: “We must be vigilant, but we must also be aware that in an environment where hybrid warfare is increasingly used as a means of destabilizing states, we must prepare ourselves accordingly.”

In Northern Ireland, police opened investigations after hundreds of schools received a bomb threat email that morning, the news agency PA reported. The Education Authority said similar incidents had already occurred at schools in the region last month, but there were no indications of a serious threat.

In Scotland, police said numerous schools also received threat emails. Police classified them as false reports and saw no need to evacuate schools.

Media reported that nearly 500 educational institutions were affected. In some localities, schools were evacuated despite the Scottish police assessment.

Recently, dozens of flights across much of Europe were affected by bomb threats and some were diverted. Explosive devices were not found in any case during checks by specialists.

Irish media organizations also received threats by email. The public broadcaster RTÉ briefly interrupted its programming on Friday because TV and radio studios had to be evacuated.

It remains unclear who is behind the bomb threats and whether they are connected. Numerous authorities across Europe are currently investigating.

The large number of attacks initially points to a coordinated effort, whether by individuals or state-directed actors.