Remote-controlled robot A bomb-disposal robot inspecting a vehicle containing a mock improvised explosive device during an installation protection exercise at Zutendaal Army Depot, Belgium. (more) pipe bomb weapon Written by Divya Dubey Divya Dubey is an editor at Britannica, focusing on Chemistry content. Divya Dubey Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 5, 2026 •History pipe bomb, an improvised explosive device that uses a sealed section of pipe as the casing to contain the explosive material. As internal pressure builds, the casing ruptures and scatters fragments outward at high speed, causing widespread injury to those nearby. A pipe bomb can be assembled using components obtained from local hardware stores. The relative ease of concealing and delivering pipe bombs has contributed to their use in terror attacks, episodes of civil unrest,...

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