DUBLIN — A number of Irish media outlets, including national broadcaster RTE and the Irish Independent newspaper, have evacuated staff on Friday after receiving bomb threats.
RTE’s buildings in Donnybrook, Dublin, were evacuated after an email was sent to the broadcaster Friday morning, it reported on its website. Gardaí, Ireland’s police, are at the scene and the broadcaster moved to pre-recorded programs for a time.
RTÉ said it was prioritising the safety of employees and personnel and that normal services would resume as soon as possible following talks with police.
Gardaí are also at Independent House, the headquarters of the Irish Independent, the paper said.
Staff at Newstalk Radio and Today FM have also reportedly been evacuated.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed they were aware of threats against media stations in Ireland and in Europe. “An Garda Síochána has been liaising with the Irish media organisations and the threats will be investigated.”
It comes amid a flurry of bomb hoaxes targeting European airlines and around a week before Dublin is due to host a meeting of the European Political Community.
“The summit will discuss the security of Europe following the full Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Irish MEP Barry Andrews wrote in a post on X on Friday in response to news of the latest bomb threats.
“Disruption, confusion, distrust is the aim behind such hybrid attacks. European leaders must establish control. This cannot continue.”
A string of bomb threats targeting flights across Europe continued on Friday, with a Ryanair plane arriving in Lisbon from Rome becoming the latest to face a security alert.
According to CNN Portugal, Portugal’s Public Security Police (PSP) received a telephone call from a person described as a “law enforcement officer”, warning of a possible explosive device on board. The caller’s identity was reportedly verified by the Judicial Police (PJ).
The aircraft landed at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport shortly before 8 am. Authorities are investigating the threat, but there has been no confirmation of explosives on board.
The latest incident follows a wave of bomb scares that affected at least 25 flights across Europe on Thursday. EU officials have said it is too early to determine whether the incidents are linked.
Source: Saudi Gazette