The U.S. military dropped the country's largest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan on Thursday, according to CNN.
This is the first time the U.S. has used the weapon in combat, according to military officials. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb has been given the nickname the "Mother of All Bombs." It was developed during the Iraq War and weighs 21,000 pounds.
The Air Force dropped the bomb in eastern Afghanistan in the Nangarhar province, where the military was targeting a network of Islamic State tunnels and personnel in the Achin district.
The use of the munition was signed off by Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
CNN reporter Barbara Starr said the bomb had to be dropped out the back of a special operation cargo plane.
"This is such a heavy bomb, such a large bomb. It is put in the back of a cargo plane, a special operations cargo plane, and basically pushed out the back of it," Starr explained.
No information has yet been released on whether the bomb was successful in hitting its target. U.S. military forces are currently assessing the damage.
Starr noted that the U.S. presumably felt it could use the weapon without risking civilian casualties.
CNN’s Barbara Starr on the MOAB: "Presumably they felt that they could use this without risking civilian casualties" https://t.co/FC1l3SMzeX
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