Iraq has warned the UN that Sunni militants have seized nuclear materials used for scientific research at a university in the city of Mosul.
In a letter , Iraq’s envoy to the UN said nearly 40kg (88lb) of uranium compounds were seized. “Terrorist groups have seized control of nuclear material at the sites that came out of the control of the state,” Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim said in the letter.
The letter appealed for international help to “stave off the threat of their use by terrorists in Iraq or abroad”.
However, the UN atomic agency IAEA said the material was “low grade” and did not pose a significant security risk.
US officials have also reportedly played down the threat, saying the materials were not believed to be enriched uranium.
They added that it would be difficult for the rebels to use the materials to make weapons.
The UN has said at least 2,417 Iraqis, including 1,531 civilians, were killed in “acts of violence and terrorism” in June.
More than a million people have fled their homes as a result of the fighting.
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