Hundreds of schools receive hoax bomb threats across Northern Ireland and elsewhere in Europe

Hundreds of schools in Northern Ireland received the same emailed bomb threat on Monday, prompting some closures and evacuations even as police said they were treating the message as a hoax.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said up to 300 schools had reported receiving a generalized threat. Police confirmed that the email originated outside the United Kingdom and said similar messages had reached some schools elsewhere in the UK.

Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan earlier said 160 schools had received a message claiming explosive devices were on school premises. He characterized its contents as Islamist, saying it threatened the introduction of sharia law and ended with the phrase “Allah Akbar.” Givan said authorities were not treating the threat as credible but acknowledged that it had caused widespread alarm and disruption.

The Education Authority said it was working closely with police, had issued guidance to schools and was supporting school leaders, staff, pupils and families. Some schools closed, while emergency evacuation procedures were activated at others.

Police Scotland said threatening messages were also sent to several schools across Scotland and were being investigated as a hoax. Schools in Hungary and Serbia also received bomb threats on Monday, according to the South China Morning Post. Authorities had not established whether the incidents in the different countries were connected.