US Drops "Mother of All Bombs" in Afghanistan; Targets IS Cave Complex, IS Now Using Tunnels

The U.S. dropped the "Mother of All Bombs" (MOAB) -- the largest conventional bomb in the American arsenal -- on an Islamic State (IS) cave complex in Afghanistan today (April 13, 2017), unleashing a munition so massive that it had to be dropped from the rear of a cargo plane, according to the NY Times website.


The bomb -- officially known as the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) -- hit a tunnel complex in the Achin district of Nangarhar Province. There was no mention of the number of casualties by the U.S. military.


During the years of fighting in Afghanistan, a handful of similar bombs were used by the U.S. to destroy caves believed to be used by forces of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.


That the U.S. is again using this type of ordnance reflects the changing nature of the enemy in Afghanistan, and the fact that the Islamic State -- like the Taliban and Al Qaeda -- is now also using the many available Afghan caves and tunnels.