At least 300 schools evacuated in Italy after receiving bomb threats by email

At least 300 schools in Italy were evacuated this Wednesday after receiving the same bomb threat message, according to the Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara.

The security alert occurs in a context of growing concern in Europe about the threats of the so-called hybrid war, which have targeted supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and television networks.

Valditara told the La7 television channel that the threats are suspected to be false and added that the number of affected centers is expected to increase.

"Following a nationwide bomb alert, we want to inform you that all students have been moved to a safe area and remain under the supervision of teaching staff," one of the schools in Rome communicated to parents through a messaging application.

The high number of affected centers "demonstrates the lack of credibility of the threat," said the minister.

The email was signed by "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misogynistan," according to a copy of the message seen by Reuters.

Last Friday, the same alleged perpetrator claimed responsibility for several bomb threats sent by email to the editorial offices of media outlets in Ireland and Bulgaria.

The Italian Police have opened an investigation into the case, according to a spokesperson for the Rome Police.

The alarm was activated early in the morning after receiving a threatening message sent to the official addresses of multiple schools.

After receiving the communications, the management teams notified the security forces and applied the emergency protocols, which led to the orderly departure to the external meeting points of thousands of students, teachers and staff.

Members of the security forces, together with canine units and bomb squads, inspected classrooms, hallways and common areas to verify the facilities, without any artifacts being found so far, according to the same sources.

Among the affected towns are Rome, Milan, Naples and Bologna, as well as other Italian cities and provinces. This is the second massive episode of its kind so far this month.

At the beginning of November, a similar chain of intimidating messages addressed to more than 270 school directors also caused the interruption of classes and police inspections in dozens of institutes throughout the national territory.

The police maintain an open investigation to trace the origin of the communications and identify the authors of these mass mailings.

The new bomb warnings come against a backdrop of growing concern over hybrid threats and security incidents recorded in Italy in recent weeks.

Among the most recent are several false bomb alerts on commercial flights, cyber attacks against supermarket refrigeration systems, a computer intrusion into the construction company of the strategic Brenner tunnel - which will link Italy with Austria - and the dissemination on the 'dark web' of personal data of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, and his family.

For this reason, the Italian Government has strengthened coordination between police forces, intelligence services and the National Cybersecurity Agency to improve detection and response to possible threats.

The authorities are investigating whether all these episodes respond to the same coordinated strategy to generate social alarm and undermine confidence in the country's institutions.