Growing fears that the Rio Olympics could be hit by an ISIS radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ as the best detection gear in the world is sent to Brazil
There are growing fears the Rio Olympics could be attacked with a ‘dirty bomb’ as the security operations are ramped up ahead of the Games.
United Nations security chiefs have sent their top detection gear to Brazil to help intercept terrorist communications amid concerns ISIS are planning to detonate a radioactive bomb at the Olympics.
Counter terrorism director Luiz Alberto Sallaberry said the ‘credible threat’ of an ISIS attack had increased dramatically in recent months due to the stream of terrorist acts across Europe.
Olympic security chiefs have borrowed The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) state-of-the-art radiation monitors including personal detectors and portable scanners, according to The Sun.
They will be used at the venues amid concerns a growing number of Brazilian nationals have started to sympathise with the terrorists.
Brazil’s head of anti-terrorism has warned there is a ‘credible threat’ from ISIS and experts believe a ‘dirty bomb’ terror attack is more likely now than since the Cold War.
A ‘dirty bomb’ is a weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives.
As well as increasing the power of the blast, it would also render areas of the explosion unusable through contamination, which would cause havoc at the Olympics.
Source: /NY Times