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Hoax bomb threats affect at least 20 European flights in a week

At least 15 flights in Europe deal with bomb threats, adding to what one expert calls an unusual level of hoaxes in a short time period, suggesting "a very deliberate act."

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At least 20 European flights experienced bomb threats in a single week, causing significant disruption for thousands of passengers. While authorities found no explosives on any of the aircraft, the incidents suggest a deliberate pattern. British authorities dismissed threats to seven flights earlier in the week as hoaxes, but the number of affected journeys soared to over 20 on Thursday.

This raised concerns about a possible coordinated effort targeting air travel across the continent. The impacted flights included routes from Ireland to Italy, Finland to Rome, Poland to Brussels, and others. Security measures were implemented, such as diverting flights to military bases, escorting planes by fighter jets, and conducting onboard security checks.

No explosives or suspicious items were found on any of the planes, but the repeated threats have heightened concerns about state actors, potentially Russia or Iran, orchestrating such low-level sabotage operations to undermine security on the continent.

Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

Also reported by 9 other outlets

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