mother or all bombs, moab

US Strikes ISIS In Afghanistan With ‘Mother Of All Bombs’ Killing 36 Militants

United States dropped ‘mother of all bombs’ (MOAB), the most powerful non-nuclear bomb, on the positions of Islamic State in a remote part of Afghanistan, near to the Pakistan border.

US military estimated about 600 to 800 ISIS fighters were operating in the area and statement from Afghan officials reveal 36 militants were killed in the airstrike.

The GBU-43/B Massive Ordinance Air Blast bomb was dropped in Nangarhar province and it destroyed three underground tunnels apart from ammunition and weapons.

No civilians were injured in the strike, said Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman.

People living about two kilometers from the strike site said a loud boom was heard that even smashed the windows of their houses.

The MOAB is reported capable of destroying a large area, equivalent to nine city blocks. It was dropped Thursday night on a network of fortified underground tunnels that the militants used in staging attacks on government forces.

United States President Donald Trump said the latest MOAB bombing was another successful job of the American forces. In recent months this is the third major attacks by the military. Recently a military raid in Yemen killed many civilians as well as a US Marine. An attack on a Syrian airfield last week was also surprising.

ISIS has expanded its network in Afghanistan in recent years and over the last week fighting had intensified. The US and Afghan forces were unable to advance as the fighters had mined explosives in the area.