Bomb threats target thousands of Italian schools

Around 6,000 schools in Italy received bomb threat emails, according to Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara. The threats, which followed similar incidents across Europe, targeted airlines and media organizations. In response, pupils, teachers, and staff were evacuated from several Italian cities.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed the issue on social media, announcing a meeting at her government headquarters later that day. She stressed that, so far, authorities' checks had not found any concrete danger. Reports indicated investigations were underway at the affected school buildings, but there was no official information about the source of the bomb threats.

Valditara noted that this was not the first time such bomb threats had been issued, emphasizing that the high number of affected schools showed how unreliable the threats were. "This is not the first time," he said, adding that "how unreliable the threat" was. "We must be vigilant, but also be aware that in an environment in which hybrid warfare is increasingly used as a means of destabilizing states, we must prepare ourselves accordingly."

The content of the emails was not quoted, but Valditara stated that "clearly" showed a "concrete risk is virtually ruled out." He added that "most likely, this is a cyberattack and not a real threat."