Europeupdated 34m ago2 min read
European Authorities Investigate New Bomb Threats Targeting Prague Airport, Dublin RTÉ
“authorities have not established who is behind the threats”
“it is unusual to see so many in such a short period.”
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Authorities investigating a wave of bomb threats targeting flights and airports, causing diversions and searches. Eleven flights to or from Prague and Sofia faced bomb alerts; no injuries reported, disruptions.
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Threats Across Europe
European authorities investigated another wave of bomb threats targeting aircraft and airports on Friday, after officials said more than at least 26 threats were reported across the continent the day before. Czech police said they were investigating a threat to place an improvised device aboard a number of aircraft arriving at and departing from Prague Airport, and Czech police said four planes heading to Prague landed safely with searches finding no suspicious objects.
Copenhagen police said they were again at the airport in connection with threats directed at air traffic, and Copenhagen police said their "immediate assessment" was that there was no danger to "passengers or others using the airport." Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ evacuated its headquarters in Dublin after the broadcaster received a bomb threat, and RTÉ said it evacuated its campus in line with security and safety protocols.
Media and Flight Hoaxes
Sky News in the United Kingdom confirmed it was among the media organizations targeted, and a Sky spokesperson said in a statement that "Sky was one of a number of media organisations that received a security threat." French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s office said Friday that "four new bomb threats were made today against aircraft flying over French territory," and the planes landed safely while bomb disposal experts conducted inspections.
Portuguese police said they were informed of a bomb threat targeting a Ryanair flight traveling from Lisbon to Rome, and police carried out a security inspection once the aircraft landed in Lisbon. Police in Venice said a WizzAir flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to the Italian city after a bomb alert, and passengers were evacuated after the aircraft landed while authorities carried out security checks.
Security Operations and Attribution
Irish police said they were aware of a threat made against media organisations in Europe, and An Garda Síochána said it was liaising with Irish media organizations while the threat would be investigated. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the continent appears to be facing "a form of psychological warfare," and the Al-Jazeera Net report said the wave included threats targeting France, Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Britain, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria.
The Charleroi Public Prosecutor’s Office said it opened an inquiry following a false bomb alert on a Ryanair flight from Pescara to Charleroi Airport, and the report said a "bomb" message had been found in the aircraft’s toilets. Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said, "We do not yet know whether it is a person behind this operation or a coordinated action," as the report described the alerts as a "probable coordinated campaign" and said NATO continued to monitor the situation and coordinate closely with allies.