Nigerian Underwear bomber failed to blow up airliner 'because he wore same pair of underwear for two weeks'

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was on a suicide mission when he attempted to detonate a bomb in his underpants as the plane carrying nearly 300 people, en route from Amsterdam, approached Detroit.New reports on Dailymail, state that he failed in his mission because the explosives became 'degraded' after he wore the same pair of underpants for two weeks.

The bomb however failed to detonate aboard the flight but caused a brief fire that caused burns to his groin.

The head of the Transportation Security Administration said this week the bomb failed to detonate because of how long Abdulmutallab had been wearing his underwear.

John Pistole told the Aspen Security Forum: 'The bomber had had the device with him for over two weeks.' 

Mr Pistole was then asked whether the bomb had become 'damp', to which he replied: 'Let's say it was degraded.' 

During his trial, Abdulmutallab said the bomb in his underwear was a 'blessed weapon' to avenge poorly treated Muslims around the world. 

After the bomb failed to detonate, passengers pounced on Abdulmutallab and forced him to the front of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 where he was held until the plane landed minutes later. 

He was sentenced to life without parole in February 2012 after he pleaded guilty to all charges on the second day of his trial the previous October.