Reuters quoted senior officials as saying: “the material, stored in a protective case, was undamaged and there were no concerns about radiation.”

The president of the security committee within Basra Provincial Council, Jabbar al-Saidi, told Reuters: “A passer-by found the radioactive device dumped in Zubair and immediately informed the security forces which went with a special radiation prevention team and retrieved the device,” pointing out that, “After initial checking I can confirm the device is intact 100 percent and there is absolutely no concern of radiation.”

Noteworthy, Reuters reported last week that the Iraqi security authorities had been searching for the dangerous radioactive material since it was stolen in November from an oilfield facility belonging to US company Weatherford near the southern city of Basra.