Italian and British Schools Evacuated Amid Emailed Bomb Threats

UPDATE - follow-up to Italy evacuates over 300 schools due to bomb alert, with threats in Scotland and Ireland: Thousands of schools across Italy, Scotland, and Northern Ireland received threatening emails on Wednesday, triggering widespread evacuations and police investigations.

What Happened

Italian authorities reported that 6,300 state schools received the anonymous email, leading to hundreds of evacuations as a precaution. Over 700 schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland also received similar messages. The email purported to come from a leader of an anti-woman group and used a Russian name, matching messages sent to European broadcasters last week. Some headteachers, such as Massimo Nunzio Barrella in Milan, chose not to evacuate after spotting the email was spam, calling the text comical.

Reactions

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated there was no indication of any concrete danger, adding that the threats aimed to generate alarm and concern. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto noted that sending such emails is easy for anyone using available tools. Scottish Education Secretary Mairi McAllan acknowledged the concern for parents and pupils while confirming police treated the warnings as hoaxes. Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara described the incidents as a cyber-attack part of a broader strategy affecting European flights, supermarkets, and hospitals.

Context

False bomb threats and cyber disruptions have recently affected various European infrastructure targets, including airports and supermarkets. Police and intelligence agencies routinely treat such mass electronic messages as hoaxes while conducting urgent technical inquiries to trace the senders.