Italy evacuates 300 schools after bomb threats

At least 300 schools across Italy were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving emails threatening bomb attacks, the country’s Education Minister said.

The incident comes amid growing concerns across Europe over so-called hybrid warfare threats. Similar threats have previously targeted supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic operations and television broadcasters.

Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara told television channel La7 that the threats were currently considered hoaxes, adding that the number of affected schools could rise.

A school in Rome informed parents through a messaging app that all students had been moved to safe locations and were under the supervision of teachers following nationwide bomb threats.

Valditara said the fact that similar threats had been sent to a large number of schools indicated how little credibility they carried.

According to a copy of the threatening email seen by Reuters, the message was signed by “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misogynia”.

The same alleged individual had also claimed responsibility for sending bomb threats by email to media offices in Ireland and Bulgaria on Friday.