The US on Thursday dropped the “mother of all bombs”i t’s largest bomb ever used in combat as it targeted ISIS in Afghanistan.
The GBU-43 bomb which is non-nuclear was dropped from an aircraft at 7.32pm local time and was aimed at the Islamic State strongholds in the Khorasan Province.
The 21,000-pound, GPS-guided bomb, known as the Massive Ordinance Air Blast was last tested on March 11, 2003 causing a mushroom cloud that was seen from 20 miles away. The bomb has been nicknamed “mother of all bombs”
According to a release from U.S. Forces Afghanistan, the intention of dropping the bomb was to minimize American and Afghan troops casualties as they conducted their operations in the area.
The statement said that all precautions were taken to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage.
“As ISIS-K’s losses have mounted, they are using IEDs, bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defense,” said Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan. “This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive against ISIS-K.”
The White House briefing reporters on Tuesday said that the strike was launched to make it more difficult for ISIS fighters to target U.S. military advisers or Afghan partners.
Press Secretary Sean Spicer however directed all other questions about the bombing to the Department of Defense.
