More than 1,800 Italian schools targeted by new hoax bomb alerts
More than 1,800 schools in Italy received bomb threat emails on Thursday, causing widespread disruption as many institutions closed immediately.
The latest warnings come amid rising concerns in Europe about hybrid warfare threats. Many schools closed immediately after receiving the alerts, causing widespread disruption as parents rushed to collect their children. Police in Rome confirmed there was "nothing to substantiate" the threats.
False claims
Like Wednesday's emails, the messages were reportedly signed by "Mikhail Andropov", who presented himself as the leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan, according to Italy's Ansa news agency. The same purported author claimed responsibility for email bomb threats sent last week to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria.
Government response
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni summoned opposition leaders for talks on how to deal with similar incidents. Meloni's office stated "buildings should not be evacuated in the absence of concrete elements beyond the mere receipt of a mass email that would suggest a genuine danger exists".
European context
Authorities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland reported similar incidents on Wednesday but classified them as hoaxes and allowed classes to continue. The latest security alert comes amid rising hybrid warfare threats in Europe, which have recently targeted supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and TV broadcasters.
Related
