Thirty-six Islamic State fighters were killed when the US destroyed a militant "sanctuary" in Afghanistan with the so-called Mother Of All Bombs.
The strike on the cave complex in the Achin district of Nangarhar province was the first time the 21,600lb (9,797kg) GBU-43 bomb, which has the explosive power of 11 tons of TNT, has been used in combat.
The Afghan defence ministry said it laid waste to the caves and ammunition caches but had not caused any civilian casualties.
"No civilian has been hurt and only the base which Daesh used to launch attacks in other parts of the province was destroyed," spokesman Dawlat Waziri said.
The bomb, the US military's largest non-nuclear device, was dropped from an MC-130 aircraft very close to the border with Pakistan.
Achin District Governor Esmail Shinwari said: "The explosion was the biggest I have ever seen.
"Towering flames engulfed the area."
The Afghan army spokesman in Nangarhar said the bomb was dropped between two mountains where IS had carved out caves and tunnels.
There were believed to have been between 40 and 70 fighters there at the time, Jawid Saleem told Tolo News.
Residents of the nearby village, which appeared unaffected by the blast, said IS militants could be seen walking up into the mountains every day.
"They were Arabs, Pakistanis, Chinese and local insurgents coming to buy from shops in the bazaar," villager Raz Mohammad told Reuters.
A hospital in the area said it has not received any wounded or dead after the blast.
The nickname - the mother of all bombs - is based on the name given to the weapon by the US Air Force - 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' bomb and it is regarded as particularly effective against clusters of targets on or just underneath the ground.
FOLLOW US ON:
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
FOLLOW US ON:
> The Forefront on Twitter
>BBM Channel: C002CB006 {WELCOME TO THE FOREFRONT
>{Instagram: the_forefront_nigeria }
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
Share this post with others on social media with options below.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Disclaimer!!! Opinions expressed in comments do not represent THE FOREFRONT MEDIA NG's views. All participants are entitled to their opinions. Thank you!!!
Advertise on the Forefront: For advert placement in the blog or advert posts like news updates, reach +2348124620827 [WhatsApp].
Copyright 2023 The Forefront Media Ng. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from The Forefront Media Ng