Thousands of Schools Across Italy Targeted by Bomb Threats as Mass Evacuations Disrupt Classes Nationwide

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Thousands of schools across Italy were targeted by emailed bomb threats on Wednesday, November 11, prompting mass evacuations, police checks and widespread disruption to lessons. The alerts forced students and teachers out of classrooms as emergency services responded to reports of possible explosives. Although the threats were later assessed as non-credible, the incident triggered concern among parents and authorities, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni assuring the public that there was no concrete danger.

Italy’s Education Minister, Giuseppe Valditara, initially reported that at least 300 schools had received the threatening messages, but later information from the Education Ministry indicated that approximately 6,300 schools were targeted. The emails reportedly contained claims that explosive devices had been placed inside school buildings, with threats of remote detonation. Some schools evacuated their premises as a precaution, while parents rushed to collect their children. In Rome and other cities, students were seen gathering outside school buildings as police conducted security checks.

The messages were reportedly signed by an individual identifying himself as “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan”. The same purported sender had previously claimed responsibility for bomb threats sent to news organisations in Ireland and Bulgaria. The emails also contained a direct threat against Prime Minister Meloni. However, authorities said their initial investigations had uncovered no evidence of an actual explosive device or an immediate threat to students and school staff.

Meloni said she had convened a meeting with government ministers and security and intelligence officials to examine the incident. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the threats as part of an apparent effort to spread fear and anxiety, although he cautioned against immediately blaming foreign governments or hostile organisations. Italian police are investigating the origin of the messages and working to establish who was responsible.

Similar threatening emails were also sent to hundreds of schools in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Authorities in those areas largely dismissed the messages as hoaxes and advised schools to remain open, although some Scottish schools reportedly evacuated their premises. The incidents have added to growing concerns about a wider pattern of disruption across Europe, including false bomb alerts affecting flights, cyberattacks on supermarket systems and threats against public institutions.

While officials have not established who coordinated the latest messages, the incidents have renewed discussions about so-called hybrid threats, which involve cyberattacks, disinformation and other disruptive tactics intended to undermine public confidence. European authorities continue to investigate the various incidents, but no government or organisation has been conclusively linked to the school threats.