Terrorists plan July 4 nuclear attack on US - report

Islamic terrorists are planning an attack on a US nuclear power plant to coincide with the July 4 Independence Day celebrations, it was reported today.

US intelligence sources told the Washington Post that they were taking the threat seriously.

The claims coincide with other recent reports that two al-Qaida terrorists are planning an attack inside the US using radioactive material in a conventional bomb.

The paper said the threat indicated that an unidentified Islamic terrorist group is planning to attack Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear facility, or another nuclear facility in the state or elsewhere in the Northeast.

News of the plan followed earlier intelligence obtained from Abu Zubaydah, 31, who was captured on March 28.

Zubaydah is considered a key lieutenant of Osama bin Laden and the organiser of terrorist training camps inside Afghanistan.

The detained al-Qaida operations chief revealed that two of his terrorists were operating in a secret cell within the US and were planning an attack.

Zubaydah said a US and an African national were planning to construct a radiological bomb - a conventional bomb fortified with radioactive material - for the attack, the officials said.

The men were to obtain radioactive material covertly from a nuclear power plant or other nuclear waste or weapons facility, the officials added.

But some doubt has been cast on the Zubaydah claims.

‘‘He seems to be supplying some good information to enhance his credibility,’’ said one official. ‘‘On the other hand, it could be part of a larger deception effort.’’