The death toll from the American military’s largest non-nuclear bomb nearly tripled Saturday, with Afghan officials saying at least 90 Islamic State terrorists were killed, as US-led forces conducted clean-up operations over the rugged terrain.
The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb — dubbed the “Mother Of All Bombs” — was unleashed in combat for the first time, hitting ISIS positions in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday.
The bombing triggered shock waves in Afghanistan, with some condemning the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that is not considered a threat as big as the resurgent Taliban.
“At least 92 Daesh (ISIS) terrorists were killed in the bombing,” Achin district governor Esmail Shinwari told AFP on Saturday. Nangarhar provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani gave a toll of 90.
