The Syrian Atomic Energy Commission announced in a statement on Thursday that radioactive materials had been found in the city of Homs.
The statement from the authority read: "The specialized technical teams of the authority have completed the procedures for containing and transferring a dilapidated armored container containing radioactive materials that was found on the outskirts of the Al-Waer neighborhood in the city of Homs."
He added: "The response came after the agency received an official report from the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management stating that a strange object bearing radiological warning signs had been detected in the aforementioned area."
He continued: "The results of the field examination showed that the object is an armored container suffering from external physical deterioration as a result of the surrounding conditions, without this affecting the integrity of the internal structure containing the radioactive materials."
The statement indicated that "accurate technical readings confirmed that no high levels of radiation leakage to the external environment were recorded, and that natural radiation levels in the area remained within completely safe limits."
The statement concluded: “The teams then worked to secure and isolate the container in accordance with the conditions for the safe transport of hazardous materials, and successfully transported it to the central laboratories of the Atomic Energy Authority, to subject it to in-depth laboratory tests, and to handle it properly in accordance with the approved regulatory systems.”
