Schools in Italy, Scotland, Ireland evacuated after bomb threats, days after fridge cyberattack; Meloni calls emergency meeting

At least ​300 schools in Italy received bomb alert message on Wednesday (Nov 11). The education minister said that the schools were immediately evacuated. The security alert came amid rising concerns ​in Europe about hybrid warfare threats ​which have targeted supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and TV broadcasters. The emails claimed that remotely detonated explosive devices had been planted inside school buildings and warned of a “genocide against the Italians.” The message also alleged that a bomb had been placed in the engine of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's car. Similar threats were recieved by dozens of schools in Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland also.

Also Read: Iran rejects France's 'baseless' claims of IRGC role in fridge cyberattacks

What Meloni said?

In first statement, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that she will chair an emergency government meeting Meloni and intelligence services will discuss measures to prevent further disruptions and similar episodes, an official in her office said. Students in over 300 schools were asked to leave the premises after an emailed threat, instruction minister Giuseppe Valditara said.

Meloni's statement also mentioned that the threats are by a pro-Russian anti-women group. She clarified that there is no actual danger. “The Government is closely monitoring the numerous reports of bomb threats at schools. Law enforcement agencies and public institutions at all levels are working to keep the situation under control and to reassure citizens, families, and school staff. At present, checks have revealed no evidence to suggest that any concrete danger exists. Rather, these reports appear to be part of a strategy intended to cause alarm and concern—a matter that is currently under thorough investigation,” she said in a statement on X.

Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto, who was attending a public event as the bomb threats emerged, said the wave of emails was part of a campaign to create panic and disruption in European countries. “It’s part of a strategy that’s now clear: to sow terror or create concern, which is too easy. Idiots also get involved in this strategy. It’s not always the strategies of foreign countries or hostile entities that are behind it; there are also mythomaniacs and lunatics who, at a time like this, can’t wait to unleash terror in a city or region,” Crosetto said.

Dismissing immediate threat, Police Scotland also said that the threats “have been sent widely to distribution lists across the UK and Northern Ireland and our assessment remains that they do not represent a credible threat.”

Wave of attacks in Europe

Last week, bomb threats were sent to airlines across the continent, forcing a number of planes to make emergency landings and others to be diverted. Hackers also breached remote temperature controls at three blood bank facilities in France during the first week of November. Technicians intercepted the intrusion and restored cooling before vital medical supplies were spoiled. Multiple EU governments were forced to temporarily take public websites offline to patch a critical software vulnerability (in PHP) before hackers could exploit it. Hackers also breached refrigeration systems overnight in several European nations and France has blamed Iran for it.