Obama warns of terrorists groups like Daesh getting nuclear bomb

US President Barack Obama has warned of a persistent threat of terrorist groups like Daesh getting their hands on nuclear weapons despite progress in reducing such risks.

Obama told a global nuclear security summit in Washington on Friday that more cooperation was needed to prevent "madmen" like Daesh from acquiring a nuclear bomb or "dirty bomb."

The US president also called on world leaders to do more to safeguard nuclear facilities.

“There is no doubt that if these madmen ever got their hands on a nuclear bomb or nuclear material, they would certainly use it to kill as many people as possible,” Obama said.

Obama cited concerns about groups such as al-Qaeda and Daesh trying to obtain nuclear materials, saying this was no time for the international community to be complacent.

“Our nations have made it harder for terrorists to get their hands on nuclear materials. We have measurably reduced the risks,” he said.

Daesh terrorists, who were initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the Syrian government, now control large parts of Iraq and Syria.

World leaders from over 50 countries have convened in Washington to participate in the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) hosted by Obama.

The two-day event will focus on ways to protect nuclear facilities and stop terrorists from creating and using atomic explosives.

MG