At least 300 schools in Italy receive bomb threats

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At least 300 ‌schools in Italy were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving the same ​bomb alert message, the education minister said. The security alert came amid rising concerns…

Hundreds of schools across Italy, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland received bomb threats on Wednesday, in what appeared to be the latest co-ordinated attack aimed at disrupting life in Europe.

Italy’s education ministry said more than 300 schools received emails warning of imminent explosions, leading to thousands of students being rushed out of their classrooms.

Dozens of schools in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland were subjected to similar threats, also leading to some evacuations. Authorities in all those countries said they deemed the threats to be a hoax.

Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto, who was attending a public event as the bomb threats emerged, said the wave of emails was part of a campaign to create panic and disruption in European countries.

“It’s part of a strategy that’s now clear: to sow terror or create concern, which is too easy,” Crosetto said.

However, he declined to speculate on who might be responsible for the threats, which were sent to schools in many parts of the country.

“Idiots also get involved in this strategy,” Crosetto added. “It’s not always the strategies of foreign countries or hostile entities that are behind it; there are also mythomaniacs and lunatics who, at a time like this, can’t wait to unleash terror in a city or region.”

Police Scotland said the threats “have been sent widely to distribution lists across the UK and Northern Ireland and our assessment remains that they do not represent a credible threat”.

In Northern Ireland, the education ministry said “another threatening email” had been sent to a “large number of schools” but advised that schools should remain open.

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