- 90 suspected ISIS terrorists reported dead in Afghanistan
The US dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb, the GBU-43 or Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB), on Afghanistan - The bomb targeted a series of caves used by ISIS militants in Nangarhar province
- It was dropped at around 7 pm US local time
- Pentagon confirmed it was the first ever combat use of the bomb
90 ISIS Terrorists Reported Dead: AFP
As many as 90 suspected Islamic State militants were killed in Afghanistan when the United States dropped the ‘mother of all bombs’, its largest non-nuclear device ever unleashed in combat, reported AFP, quoting Afghan sources. This comes as an update from an earlier report that had 36 suspected ISIS terrorists dead.
The claims have not been independently verified, but Ministry Spokesman Dawlat Waziri said no civilians were harmed in Thursday's massive blast that targeted a network of caves and tunnels.
No civilian has been hurt and only the base which Daesh used to launch attacks in other parts of the province, was destroyed.Dawlat Waziri
The US estimates 600 to 800 ISIS fighters are present in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. US has concentrated heavily on combatting them while also supporting Afghan forces battling the Taliban.
Just last week a US Army Special Forces soldier, Staff Sgt Mark R De Alencar, 37, of Edgewood, Maryland, was killed in action in Nangarhar.
Very, Very Proud of Our Military: Donald Trump
Addressing a press briefing after the bomb strike, Donald Trump said that he is “very, very proud of our military...it was another successful event."
Everybody knows exactly what happens, so, and what I do is I authorise my military. We have the greatest military in the world, and they’ve done a job as usual, so we have given them total authorization. And that’s what they’re doing. And frankly, that’s why they’ve been so successful lately.
US Uses 'Mother of All Bombs' for First Time in Afghanistan
The United States dropped a GBU-43 bomb or the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday against a series of caves used by Islamic State militants, the military said.
A Pentagon spokesperson, Adam Stump, said that it was the first-ever combat use of the GBU-43, which he said contains 11 tonnes of explosives.
It was dropped from a MC-130 aircraft in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan, Stump said.
The US military released footage showing moments when the bomb was dropped on Afghanistan.
Also known as the "mother of all bombs," the GBU-43 is a 21,600 pound (9,797 kg) GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003, just days before the start of the Iraq war. The Pentagon had also done a formal review of legal justification for its combat use.
“Although the MOAB weapon leaves a large footprint, it is discriminate and requires a deliberate launching toward the target,” the review said. It added: “It is expected that the weapon will have a substantial psychological effect on those who witness its use.”