Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened a government meeting over a series of anonymous bomb threats sent by email to schools in various parts of the country. The meeting is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Chigi Palace in Rome, ANSA reported.
Deputy Prime Ministers Matteo Salvini and Antonio Tajani, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Secretary of State to the Prime Minister Alfredo Mantovano, the heads of the intelligence services and the National Cybersecurity Agency are expected to attend the meeting.
Email reached thousands of schools
According to Italy’s Ministry of Education, the message was sent to around 6,000 schools. Evacuations, inspections or other precautionary measures were carried out at more than 300 educational institutions. In some cities, students and staff left the buildings while law enforcement officers conducted inspections.
The messages contained threats of explosions, but no explosive device has been found so far, Italian media reported. The number of affected schools changed throughout the day, with initial reports saying that more than 300 institutions had received alerts.
“The government is closely monitoring the numerous reports of bomb threats at schools. At present, the checks carried out have not produced a single element pointing to a real danger,” Meloni said. According to her, the alerts appeared to be linked to a strategy aimed at creating alarm and anxiety.
Investigations in several parts of the country
Inspections were carried out at schools in Rome, Milan, Bologna, Turin, Naples and other cities. According to ANSA, prosecutors in Genoa have opened a case, while the Carabinieri in Turin have received dozens of reports.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said it was premature to speak of overall coordination behind the threats. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara described the risk as practically nonexistent, but said that the actions should be discussed with the intelligence services.
Meloni will also meet with opposition leaders on Thursday over the latest cyberattacks against Italian systems and the bomb threats targeting schools. So far, the Italian authorities have not identified any organisation or country as responsible.
Sources: ansa.it, apnews.com