The 2.5 tons of uranium that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared missing in Libya on Wednesday have been recovered, says the Libyan National Army (ANL).
Libyan forces announced the recovery of the natural uranium on Thursday, saying they had found the 10 barrels of ore near the border with Chad. An IAEA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the organization has yet to verify the allegation.
“We are aware of media reports that the material has been found, the Agency is actively working to verify it,” the spokesperson said.
THE UN nuclear watchdog Inspectors found the uranium missing during an inspection that was postponed last year due to the country’s deteriorating security situation.
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The IAEA discovered that 2.5 tons of natural uranium had disappeared in Libya. (ALEX HALADA/AFP)
The agency says it is still investigating how the 10 barrels were moved from where the Libyan government said they would be.
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The agency acknowledged that the missing nuclear material poses a “radiological risk, as well as nuclear security concerns”.
Libya’s security has deteriorated following the NATO-backed uprising that toppled the country’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since 2014, rival political factions have been vying for control, with the latest episode of conflict ending in 2021.
The division in the oil-rich nation has fueled violence between armed groups and driven many refugees to attempt the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. Many of these trips end in drownings.
The Libyan national army says it has recovered 10 barrels of natural uranium that were declared missing earlier this week. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)
Libyan forces say they recovered the missing uranium near the country’s border with Chad. (AP Photo)
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LNA General Khaled al-Mahjoub says the 10 barrels of uranium were found “just 5 kilometers” from where they were supposed to be stored.
Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
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