Washington : The U.S. military has dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the Achin district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province which borders Pakistan to target the Islamic State tunnels and personnel, reports the CNN.
According to the report, four U.S. military officials with direct knowledge of the mission said a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, nicknamed MOAB, was dropped at 7 p.m. local time Thursday.
The MOAB is also known as the "mother of all bombs." A MOAB is a 21,600-pound, GPS-guided munition that is America's most powerful non-nuclear bomb.
The bomb was dropped by an MC-130 aircraft, operated by Air Force Special Operations Command, according to the military sources.
They said the target was ISIS tunnels and personnel in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province.
The military is currently assessing the damage. Gen. John Nicholson, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, signed off on the use of the bomb, according to the sources.
This is the first time a MOAB has been used in the battlefield, according to the US officials. This munition was developed during the Iraq War. (CNN)
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