Radioactive material stolen from US site in Basra raises fears of dirty bomb
Representational file photo.
(IraqiNews.com) A senior official in the Ministry of Environment revealed, that a highly dangerous radioactive material was stolen from an oilfield facility in the city of Basra last year, amid fears it could be acquired by the so-called ISIS and used as a weapon.
According to a document that was addressed to the ministry’s Centre for Prevention of Radiation and obtained by Reuters, the radioactive material, which was stored in a protective case, went missing in November from a site belonging to US company Weatherford near the southern city of Basra.
An official in the ministry, who requested anonymity, told Reuters, “The device contained up to 10g of Ir-192 capsules; a radioactive isotope of iridium.”
“We are afraid the radioactive material will fall into the hands of ISIS. They could simply attach it to explosives to make a dirty bomb” a senior security official told Reuters.
A spokesperson for Basra Operations Command said the army, police and intelligence forces are working day and night to locate the stolen material.
The material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive source by the International Atomic Energy Agency and can be fatal if someone is exposed for a period of hours to days.