At least 300 schools across Italy have been evacuated following bomb threat messages received on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, prompting security concerns and emergency responses across the country.
The Italian government confirmed the development, while Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the threats were initially believed to be hoaxes.
Valditara added that the number of affected schools could increase as authorities continued to assess the situation.
Security agencies are expected to investigate the origin of the messages and determine whether the threats were coordinated.
The alerts were reportedly distributed through emails sent to school authorities. According to a report by Reuters, approximately 6,300 schools across Italy received the warnings, although only hundreds were evacuated.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said there was no indication of any concrete danger to schools, describing the messages as an attempt to create fear and public anxiety. She confirmed that security agencies were monitoring the situation and investigating the threats. Reuters +1
The incident was not limited to Italy. Schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland also received similar threatening emails on Wednesday. However, authorities in those countries treated the messages as hoaxes, with no widespread school evacuations reported. Sky News +1
The BBC-style security concern comes amid a growing wave of suspected cyber-related disruptions across Europe, with recent incidents affecting supermarkets, blood banks, aviation services and media organisations.
Italian authorities have yet to identify those responsible for the latest threats, while investigations continue into whether the messages were part of a coordinated campaign. Reuters +2
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press (AP), ANSA and Sky News.
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