The Islamic State group (aka: ISIS) has reportedly developed a weapon made from radioactive material stolen from an Iraqi university, according to a militant who claims insider knowledge.
Hamayun Tariq, a British ISIS member based in Syria, claimed on social media that the group obtained the uranium from Mosul University and now possesses a “dirty bomb” that it is now considering detonating it in a public area.
A “dirty bomb” is one type of a “radiological dispersal device” (RDD) that combines a conventional explosive, such as dynamite, with radioactive material that may disperse when the device explodes. It is not the same as a nuclear weapon.
A nuclear bomb creates an explosion that is millions of times more powerful than that of a dirty bomb. The cloud of radiation from a nuclear bomb could spread tens to hundreds of square miles, whereas a dirty bomb’s radiation could be dispersed within a few blocks or miles of the explosion.
I should mention that the report of ISIS trying to build a dirty bomb have been around for a while and is consistent with an earlier report dated December 3, 2014 by the Iraqi News Service.
See article: ISIS claims constructing dirty bomb after stealing 40kg of uranium http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/isis-claims-constructing-dirty-bomb-stealing-40kg-uranium/
Behind the scenes U.S. and Iraqi authorities have rapidly increased their efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring or smuggling out nuclear and radioactive materials as concerns mount that Islamic State group is seeking to recover these sensitive materials and use them in a terror attack.
See related video: ‘Seized nuclear material could be used to make dirty bombs or artillery shells’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83znJ4TBNMA