An international hacking gang who claim to be behind some of the hoax bomb threats at Australian schools claim they are about to attack again.
On every school day since Friday, dozens of schools across the country have been evacuated after receiving similar computerised phone messages warning of a device on school grounds.
A group calling themselves Evacuation Squad have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks, and say they are just about to launch more. However, they also claim some attacks in Australia have been the work of copycats.
"In fact we just hit several Sydney schools today, and we are going to hit various cities in Perth," a spokesman for the group calling himself Viktor Olyavich told Fairfax Media via email.
"I don't think we're cowards. What would constitute that? Just for making threats? That is silly."
Fairfax Media has not been able to confirm Evacuation Squad's claims.
Since his email on Thursday morning, schools in Adelaide and Sydney have been evacuated due to bomb threats.
Mr Olyavich said the group had previously focused on the US, UK, Norway, Britain, France, Japan and Sweden. He said one member had a "particular bias" for attacking schools in Massachusetts because he lived there before returning home to Iran.
He claimed responsibility for Monday's attacks across NSW, Victoria and Queensland, but said a copycat was behind calls made on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"We are responsible for Monday's threats in Sydney, but we are not exactly sure who is behind the other threats. They seem to be copying us."
He said the calls would continue "for as long as possible" and Australia was being targeted because "it is an ally of the US and Britain."
The group has publicly offered to shut down schools in exchange for bitcoin payments. Mr Olyavich claimed the Australian attacks were requested by local students.
He also repeated claims, made earlier by the group, that the attacks were being conducted via a stolen Voice over IP account.
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said federal security and intelligence authorities have joined state police and education departments in investigating the source of the threats.
NSW Police have previously said they believe the hoax calls have come from overseas and are the work of cyber hackers rather than terrorists.
In Melbourne, police are investigating whether a hoaxer hacked into the telecommunication service at Nossal High School, located at Monash University's Berwick campus, in order to send threats to other schools.
Police have been contacted for comment.
