ROME/BELFAST: More than 300 schools across Italy were evacuated on November 11 following bomb threats that were later declared hoaxes. Similar threats were reported in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

These were in addition to a series of incidents targeting public services and businesses across Europe.

The threats caused disruption in Italy, where many parents had to leave work and other activities to collect their children from schools.

Nensi Bego, whose daughter attends Mazzini Middle School in Rome, said her child was frightened by the incident because students did not understand what was happening.

"My daughter Dafne started crying because the kids did not understand what was happening, and she was still shaken when I picked her up," she said.

Bego described the threats as unnecessary disruptions that affected lessons and people's daily lives.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the alerts posed no danger and that police and other public authorities were monitoring the situation.

One school in Rome informed parents through a messaging app that all students had been moved to a safe area and were being supervised by teachers.

According to a copy of the email seen by Reuters, the message received in Italy was signed by someone identifying himself as Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan.

The same individual had claimed responsibility for bomb threat emails sent to news organizations in Ireland and Bulgaria on November 6.

Some European officials suspect Russia could be behind a campaign aimed at disrupting daily life in countries supporting Ukraine following Moscow's invasion. Russia has denied involvement and accused Western countries of conducting a smear campaign.

Iran has also come under suspicion following other incidents. France summoned the Iranian ambassador on November 10 after accusing Tehran of carrying out a cyberattack that disabled refrigerators in hundreds of supermarkets the previous week. Iran rejected the accusations as baseless and hostile.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the latest threats were part of an effort to create fear and anxiety among the public. However, he cautioned that not all such incidents were necessarily linked to foreign governments or hostile organizations, adding that individuals seeking attention could also be responsible.

The increased security measures followed a major cyberattack involving cryptocurrency exchange Binance, which reportedly resulted in losses of $6.3 billion.

Antonello Giannelli, head of the Italian School Principals Association, said the threats had caused distress among students, parents and school staff. He warned that even hoaxes could seriously disrupt school activities and create anxiety across entire communities.

300 Schools in Northern Ireland Affected

In Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said around 300 schools had reported receiving an email containing a threat. Police were treating the messages as a hoax.

Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said police were taking the matter seriously and understood the concerns of schools and families.

He said the investigation was continuing, but the risk to the public was considered low. Police were working with affected schools, the Department of Education and the Education Authority to reassure the public.

A primary school in Belfast also shared a message it had received from Northern Ireland's Education Authority about the incident.