Over six thousand Italian schools received false bomb threats
Fake emails containing bomb threats were sent to over 6,000 Italian schools on Wednesday. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened an emergency meeting, and similar threats were reported in Scotland and Ireland.
Mass false bomb threats in Italian schools
Over six thousand Italian schools received a fake email on Wednesday stating that explosives had allegedly been planted, according to a spokesperson for the education ministry. According to polsatnews.pl, at least 300 facilities were evacuated, and this number could have increased.
The head of Italy's education ministry Giuseppe Valditara confirmed the evacuation of pupils. One school in Rome informed parents that all children had been moved to a safe location under the supervision of teachers. A copy of the message also contained a threat of an attack on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The message was signed: "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Misogynistan province". An identical signature appeared under emails containing threats sent on Friday to media outlets in Ireland and Bulgaria. A spokesman for Rome police confirmed that authorities are investigating the matter.
Prime Minister Meloni stated that the threats do not pose a danger and announced an emergency session at government headquarters. During a meeting with heads of security and intelligence services, she intended to review the situation and coordinate further action, according to the Ansa agency.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated that the threats are "an element of a strategy aimed at spreading fear and causing unrest". He added that the authors could be either hostile states or individuals seeking attention.
Similar emails reached schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, over 300 facilities received such messages, and in Scotland 470 did. Local authorities treated them as false alarms, however all were investigated.
The incident occurs in the context of growing concerns in Europe regarding hybrid warfare and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, including supermarkets, blood banks, airports and media.
Source: Google News PL