300 schools in Italy evacuated after receiving bomb threats

Across Italy on Wednesday, educational institutions were evacuated following a series of fraudulent bomb threats, although Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni assured the public that there was no genuine threat. Comparable hoax alerts had been reported in schools in the United Kingdom and Ireland, leading to some evacuations as well. Meloni convened a government meeting that same day, with Italian media reporting that 312 schools had received the threats.

Based on current investigations, no evidence suggests a concrete danger, she stated on Facebook. These reports seem to be orchestrated to create alarm and concern, and are under thorough investigation, Meloni added. Antonello Giannelli, president of the ANP association of Italian school principals, affirmed the threats were clearly fabricated.

However, he noted that this incident underscores the potential for significant disruption when irresponsibility is coupled with the powerful communication tools available today. Giannelli expressed hope that the origins of these threats would be swiftly revealed and the perpetrators identified. This series of incidents follows other hoax bomb alerts in recent weeks, including threats on flights across Europe and cyber attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in various European nations, including Italy.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reported receiving personal data online due to Italy's support for Ukraine, and this cyber aggression has been linked to broader concerns about hybrid warfare. Bomb threats prompted school evacuations at Irish media outlets, while flights across Europe faced disruptions from hoax bomb threats for the third consecutive day.