April 13, 2017
The United States has dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat in Afghanistan.
The 21,000 pound device was dropped on an Islamic State tunnel complex.
It's official name is the Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb but it is widely known in the US military as the "Mother Of All Bombs".
April 13, 2017
The United States has dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat in Afghanistan.
The 21,000 pound device was dropped on an Islamic State tunnel complex.
It's official name is the Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb but it is widely known in the US military as the "Mother Of All Bombs".
It was the first time the bomb, the largest non-nuclear device in the US arsenal, has been used.
The bomb, also known as the GBU-43B, was dropped out the back of a US Air Force C-130 cargo plane.
A US official told Fox News: "We kicked it out the back door."
General John Nicholson, Commander of US sorces in Afghanistan, said: "As Isis losses have mounted, they are using IEDs, bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defence.
"This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive."
The US military said it did everything possible to avoid civilian casualties.
Video provided by the Pentagon showed a huge cloud of smoke after the bomb exploded.
A damage assessment was being carried out.
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