At least 300 schools across Italy were evacuated on Wednesday following a nationwide bomb threat sent through email, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara has said.
Valditara told Italian television channel La7 that the threats were believed to be hoaxes, adding that the number of affected schools could increase.
The alerts come amid growing concerns across Europe over so-called hybrid warfare, with recent incidents targeting supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic systems and television broadcasters.
One school in Rome informed parents through a messaging application that all students had been moved to a safe location and were being supervised by teaching staff.
“Following a nationwide bomb alert, we wish to inform you that all students have been taken to a safe area and remain under the supervision of teaching staff,” the school said.
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Valditara said the large number of schools affected raised doubts about the credibility of the threats.
The email was reportedly signed by “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan”, according to a copy of the message seen by Reuters.
The same purported sender had also claimed responsibility for bomb threats sent by email to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria on Friday.
Italian police are investigating the incident, a spokesperson for the Rome police said.
