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U.S. dropped the ‘mother of all bombs,’ killing 36 Islamic State militants

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The U.S. military’s largest non-nuclear bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs” was dropped on an Islamic State tunnel complex in Afghanistan, killing 36 members of the Islamic State. Picture: AP
The U.S. military’s largest non-nuclear bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs” was dropped on an Islamic State tunnel complex in Afghanistan, killing 36 members of the Islamic State. Picture: AP

The United States dropped the largest non-nuclear weapon to ever be used in combat on Thursday night against Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan.

The bomb, formally named the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) but commonly referred to as the “mother of all bombs,” struck an Islamic State tunnel complex in the Nangarhar Province, reportedly killing 36 members of the Islamic State.

In a media briefing on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that the weapon’s target was a “system of tunnels and caves that IS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target U.S. military advisers and Afghan forces in the area.”

“In order to defeat the group, we must deny them operational space,” said Spicer.

According to an Afghan Defence Ministry spokesperson, the strike destroyed three underground tunnels in addition to weapons and ammunition, but no civilians were hurt.

Weighing 21,600 pounds (9,800 kg) and containing almost 10 000 kilograms of explosives, the bomb was released from an MC-130 transport plane by parachute and utilised GPS navigation to manoeuvre to its intended target.

The bomb was first tested in 2003 but had never been deployed in combat until now.

U.S. President Donald Trump lauded Thursday’s bombing as “another successful job.” It is the third major military action the Trump administration has taken in recent months.

“We have the greatest military in the world,” declared Trump.

“We have given them total authorization, and that’s what they’re doing, and frankly, that’s why they’ve been so successful lately.”

News of the bombing came hours after the Pentagon admitted an air strike in Syria mistakenly killed 18 U.S. allied rebels.

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