Yzabelle Bostyn
AT least 18 international schools across Spain have been forced to close as police investigate bomb threats.
The closures occurred this Monday, December 18 in schools across Zaragoza, Catalonia, Pontevedra, Tenerife, Villareal and Castellon.
It comes after multiple schools received emails warning of explosive devices placed in their grounds.
According to El Heraldo, the secretary of el Liceo Francés Molière International School in Zaragoza received the message on Sunday, December 17.
The school contacted the Policia Nacional as well as the French Embassy in Spain.
Parents of some 1000 students were informed after midnight that the international school would be closed the following day.
According to El Mundo, parents and students alike are in ‘shock’.
At least 11 other schools were copied into the email, according to reports from El Mundo.
In total, four schools in Zaragoza received the threats including, el colegio Inglés de Movera, el colegio Británico de Aragón and The Schoolhouse.
Many schools in Catalonia were also affected and contacted the Mossos d’Esquadra police force, who stated the threats were of ‘low credibility’.
Among them were El Liceo Francés Internacional de Reus, el Jigsaw British School de El Catllar and el Socrates Educa International School de Salou.
The warnings were received over the weekend after two el Liceo francés schools, in Palma and El Campello, Alicante, received similar emails on Friday, December 15.
All of the schools targeted were international schools, many teaching in English and French.
Some schools have returned to classes almost immediately after receiving the all clear from police but many remain closed.
The Policia Nacional has urged for ‘calm’, saying that while the threats are likely false, they will do all they can to ensure students’ safety.
Spain’s terrorism alert level is currently a four, where it has remained since the 2015 Paris attacks killed 130 people.
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