Tons of Uranium Have Vanished in Libya

Two and a half tons of uranium have disappeared from a site in Libya, according to the UN's nuclear watchdog. The International Atomic Energy Agency said inspectors discovered 10 drums containing uranium ore, also known as yellow cake, "were not present as previously declared at a location" outside of government-controlled territory during a visit on Tuesday, per CNN and the BBC. It added it is working "to clarify the circumstances of the removal of the nuclear material and its current location."

The missing uranium represents about 10% of the material stored at the "very remote location" in southern Libya, says Scott Roecker of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. He tells the BBC that whoever removed the uranium "must really want it," though it "cannot be made into a nuclear weapon" in its current form. There are also "very little radiation concerns," says Roecker. It's unclear when exactly the uranium disappeared. A site inspection scheduled for last year was postponed for security reasons as militias battled in the region, per the BBC and Reuters.