JALALABAD: The US military’s largest non-nuclear bomb killed at least 36 militants as it decimated a deep tunnel complex of the Daesh group, Afghan officials said Friday, ruling out any civilian casualties.
“As a result of the bombing, key Daesh (IS) hideouts and deep tunnel complex were destroyed and 36 IS fighters were killed,” the defence ministry stated of the strike in eastern Afghanistan late Thursday.
The US on Thursday dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday against a series of caves used by Daesh militants, the military said.
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, days before the start of the Iraq war.
President Donald Trump noted how it was proof of a stronger US foreign policy, adding that it was a “very successful mission.”
White House spokesman Sean Spicer opened his daily news briefing yesterday and spoke on the use of the bomb. He commented, “We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target US military advisers and Afghan forces in the area.”
“The United States takes the fight against ISIS very seriously and in order to defeat the group, we must deny them operational space, which we did,” Spicer stated, before adding that “all precautions necessary [were taken] to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage.”