Hundreds of schools were evacuated in Italy over thousands of bomb threats, part of a larger wave of bomb threats wreaking havoc across Europe.
After an investigation, no bombs were found in any of the cases in Italy and the rest of Europe. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the threats were part of a strategy to “spread fear and create anxiety.”
Though initial counts said hundreds of schools in Italy were evacuated, threatening emails were sent to over 6,000 schools across the country. Threats also targeted public buildings and officials, including one threat claiming a bomb was placed in Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s car.
Separately, hundreds of schools in the United Kingdom and Ireland received bomb threats as well.
The email threats were signed by “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan,” according to Reuters, the same sender of earlier bomb threats. The name appears to combine popular culture elements of Russia and Iran, which have both been accused of cyberattacks against Europe previously.
Though Russia and Iran were quickly floated as the culprits, Crosetto clarified that the sender of the threats hasn’t been confirmed and implied that the signatory could be a red herring.
“It is not always the work of foreign countries or hostile entities,” he said. “There are also attention-seekers and lunatics who, at a time like this, cannot wait to unleash terror in a city or a region.”
Italian School Principals Association head Antonello Giannelli complained about the threats being upsetting for students, family, and staff.
“Even though today’s threats are clearly hoaxes, we cannot underestimate the consequences of incidents that alarm entire school communities and disrupt the normal conduct of educational activities,” he said.
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Just last week, on Nov. 3, 271 Italian schools received bomb threats, claiming the sender had “just left an ammonium nitrate device so powerful it will kill dozens of people.” That sender identified themselves as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Russia and Iran have denied any culpability in the wave of bomb threats.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
