Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara announced in his statement to La7 television that at least 300 schools were evacuated due to threatening messages.
Valditara said that the reports were considered unfounded, but the number of schools affected may increase.
In addition to the capital Rome, classes were suspended in many schools in cities such as Milan, Naples, Palermo and Bologna. Security forces, together with bomb disposal experts, launched an investigation in schools.
Following bomb threats, evacuation procedures were implemented in schools.
The following statements were included in the information sent by a school in Rome to parents via a messaging application:
"We would like to inform you that following the nationwide bomb alert, all students were taken to a safe area and kept under the supervision of teachers."
Italian security forces launched an investigation to identify the source of the threatening messages and evaluate possible risks.
WHO SENT THE THREATENING MESSAGES?
It was stated that the e-mail accessed by Reuters was signed by a person who introduced himself as "Misoginistan Province leader Mikhail Andropov".
While the message claimed that explosives were placed in school buildings, it was also reported that there were threats against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
It was reported that a person using the same name also claimed responsibility for bomb threats previously sent to news centers in Ireland and Bulgaria.
Authorities are investigating the real identity of the person who sent the messages and whether the threats are related.
In addition to the developments in Italy, it was announced that many schools in Northern Ireland also received threatening e-mails.
The Northern Ireland Education Authority reported that the messages sent to schools were evaluated by security forces.
Since the police did not find the threats credible, schools were advised to continue their educational activities.
While large-scale evacuations were carried out in Italy, it was noteworthy that schools in Northern Ireland were kept open.
ITALIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE: "THE PURPOSE IS TO SPREAD FEAR"
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that threatening messages could be part of a strategy aimed at creating fear and anxiety in society.
Speaking to Adnkronos news agency, Crosetto pointed out that similar threats are not always directed by foreign states or hostile groups.
"It is now part of a very clear strategy: Spreading fear and creating anxiety," Crosetto said.
Stating that some people may try to panic the society by taking advantage of the current security environment, Crosetto said that there may also be people behind the threats who want to draw attention.
The bomb threats in Italy came after recent threats and cyber attacks targeting supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic systems and television organizations in Europe.
The French administration held Iran responsible for the cyber attack that disabled the cooling systems in hundreds of supermarkets last week and summoned Tehran's Ambassador to Paris to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the claim that the Revolutionary Guard Corps played a role in the attacks, calling it "baseless and hostile".
European officials assess that the cascading threats may not consist solely of individual actions and may be linked to broader destabilization activities.
ARE THREATS PART OF "HYBRID WARFARE"?
Some security officials in Europe worry that hoax bomb threats and cyber attacks may be linked to so-called "hybrid warfare" activities.
Such activities may aim to destabilize countries through cyber attacks, disinformation and methods aimed at creating social fear, without direct military intervention.
Some European officials suggest that Russia may be behind similar activities targeting countries that support Ukraine.
The Moscow administration rejects accusations that it is linked to such activities.
The investigation initiated by the Italian police to determine the source of the threats and their possible connections continues.
