BanglaPress Desk: Approximately 6,300 schools across Italy have received simultaneous emails containing hoax bomb threats. Authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland have also reported receiving similar threatening emails, sparking security concerns throughout Europe.
This information was reported by the British news agency Reuters on Wednesday (November 11).
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that there is currently no actual danger or risk to the country's schools. However, given the seriousness of the situation, she has convened an emergency meeting with cabinet members to review the circumstances and determine appropriate security measures.
Reuters obtained a copy of one of the threatening emails, which also includes a direct threat against Prime Minister Meloni. The sender used the name "Mikhail Andropov" and identified himself as the leader of the "Vilayat of Misogynistan."
The same name was used in bomb threat emails sent to various media outlets in Ireland and Bulgaria last week.
This new security alert comes amid growing concerns across Europe regarding cyberattacks and "hybrid warfare" targeting supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic control systems, and television broadcasters.
Meanwhile, similar threatening emails were also sent to schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday.
Education authorities in Northern Ireland stated that schools have been instructed to remain open, as the police do not consider the threats credible. The new messages bear a resemblance to a hoax threat received last month, which the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had previously dismissed as false.
Police Scotland also indicated that the emails sent to schools are not considered credible threats and are believed to be hoaxes. The police cyber and fraud unit is working to identify the source of the messages, and coordination is underway with authorities in the United Kingdom and international agencies. Previously, on October 19, similar mass bomb threats were sent via email to schools in Scotland.
In addition to bomb threats, there has been a recent surge in cyberattacks across various European countries. These incidents have forced some commercial flights to alter their routes; reports also indicate that some aircraft were grounded and placed under the guard of fighter jets.
Furthermore, in Germany, Romania, and the United Kingdom, the temperatures of refrigeration systems in several supermarkets were tampered with. It is alleged that hackers intentionally altered the settings to cause food spoilage. A similar cyberattack occurred in hundreds of supermarkets across France earlier in October.
Paris has held Iran responsible for the attacks in France, and the French government summoned the Iranian ambassador this week in connection with the matter. Tehran, however, has rejected the accusations, labeling them baseless and hostile. Following France’s allegations, suspicions have also emerged regarding potential Iranian involvement in the hoax bomb threats sent to schools in Italy. Source: Reuters.
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