US drops ‘mother of all bombs’ on ISIS in Afghanistan
The GBU-43/N Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb was first tested in 2003 and to date never been used in combat
The bomb was dropped on a system of tunnels used by ISIS militants
The US military has dropped a GBU-43/N Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb on an ISIS tunnel complex in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, according to the White House.
The bomb, which contains 11 tonnes of TNT and is capable of destroying everything within a 1-mile radius is the US military's largest non-nuclear bomb and was first tested in 2003, but had not yet been used before in combat.
Speaking at a press briefing, White House press secretary said the current administration takes the fight against ISIS “very seriously”, and had opted to drop the bomb in order to prevent Islamist militants from targeting US military personnel. The bombing took place at 7.00pm local time (4.00pm CET)
“We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters use to move around freely, making it easier for them to target US military advisers and Afghan forces in the area,” said Spicer, adding that the necessary measures had been taken to prevent “collateral damage”.
