Smoke raises behind an Islamic State flag after Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters took control of Saadiya in Diyala province from Islamist State militants, November 24, 2014.
Smoke raises behind an Islamic State flag after Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters took control of Saadiya in Diyala province from Islamist State militants, November 24, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer REUTERS/Stringer

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants have reportedly developed a nuclear weapon from the radioactive material they seized from the Mosul University in Iraq. ISIS bragged about the nuclear device on social media as a British extremist fighter claimed it would wreak havoc in London when it explodes.

According to media reports, ISIS militants have stolen 40 kilogrammes of uranium in July and used it to make a "dirty bomb." The Mirror noted that British bomb expert Hamayun Tariq was identified as among the militants who issued threats to the West online. In 2012, he left his home in Dudley and went to the Middle East.

On his Twitter account under the Muslim name, Muslim al-Britani, he announced that ISIS has a dirty bomb and revealed they militants found radioactive material at the Iraqi university in Mosul. He went on to say ISIS will study what dirty bombs can do and talk about what happens when it is detonated in a public area.

In what may be viewed as a veiled threat, the British ISIS supporter added that it would be "terribly destructive" if it exploded in London. His account on Twitter has since been suspended after posting his comments. As a show of support, other ISIS fighters also posted on Twitter to confirm that militants have in their possession a bomb from radioactive material in Mosul.

Reports of ISIS having a nuclear device have alarmed the UN Ambassador to Iraq Mohamed Ali Alhakin. He wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and revealed that ISIS has been taking nuclear material from areas where the group has taken over. The ambassador informed the UN that such material can be used to manufacture "weapons of mass destruction." Alhakin warned that nuclear materials, even in limited quantities, can enable terrorist groups like ISIS to use it in the militants' terror campaign with the help a weapons expert.

The Mirror speculates that if ISIS has a nuclear bomb, the group would more likely use it in Iraq or Syria rather than risk being caught when smuggling it into a Western country. Previous reports indicate that if ISIS was confirmed to have weapons of mass destruction or a nuclear bomb, U.S. President Barack Obama would not hesitate to send ground troops to destroy ISIS.