US defends dropping ‘mother of all bombs’ in Afghanistan
After dropping its largest non-nuclear bomb on ISIS targets in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province near its border with Pakistan, the US said that its decision sends a clear message that the US is committed and determined to defeating ISIS and other terrorist organisations in Afghanistan.
However, the Islamic State denied any casualties in the bombing.
India, Pakistan, China, Russia and several central Asian countries deliberated on the situation in Afghanistan at a conference in Moscow. India has said it stands with the US in its fight against terror.
It is the largest non-nuclear device ever unleashed in combat. U.S. officials said no civilians were harmed and the massive blast targeted a network of caves and tunnels. As many as 36 militants were killed.
At a village about 5 km from the remote, mountainous area where the bomb was dropped, homes and shops appeared unaffected by the blast, though residents said they felt the ground shaking.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s office said the strike was part of a joint operation between Afghan and international troops.
“There were Daesh (ISIS) bases over there and they had activities in those areas. Bombing was really huge, when it dropped everywhere it was shaking and I believe it has killed around 70 to 80 of them. This is a positive move that Daesh was eliminated. No civilians were there at all.”
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump said the attack with a bunker-busting GBU-43 weapon that can penetrate deep inside concrete or even a mountainside was a successful mission.
“We have the greatest military in the world and they’ve done a job, as usual. So, we have given them total authorization and that’s what they’re doing and, frankly, that’s why they’ve been so successful lately,” he said.
Thursday marked the first time the United States used this size of bomb in a conflict. It was dropped from an MC-130 aircraft in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan.
Also known as the “mother of all bombs,” the GBU-43 is a 21,600 pound (9,797 kg) GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003, just days before the start of the Iraq war.
In India, Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh stood with the US saying fighting terrorists is everyone’s fight. Indian defence analysts too suggest that the Trump Administration has signalled a decisive intent in going after IS to contain its expansion.
During the presidential campaign, Trump’s tone on terrorism had been consistently uncompromising. He was clear that the civilized world must change its thinking, and his tough stand against ISIS and Islamic radicalism is changing from a political strategy to a reality.
