U.S. drops biggest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in AfghanistanApril 14, 2017 - 10:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States has dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, The Telegraph said. The 21,000 pound device was dropped on an Islamic State cave tunnel complex in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan. It's official name is the Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb but it is widely known in the U.S. military as the "Mother Of All Bombs". It was the first time the bomb has been used against an enemy. The bomb, also known as the GBU-43B, was dropped in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan. Because of the size of the 30ft-long bomb a cargo plane with a rear door, a U.S. Air Force MC-130, had to be used and it was pushed out of the aircraft rather than dropped from a bomb bay. A damage assessment was being carried out. While the MOAB was 21,000 pounds each of the Tomahawks dropped in Syria was 1,000 pounds. Sean Spicer, White House spokesman, said the bomb was dropped at 7pm local time in Afghanistan. He said: "We targeted a system of tunnels and caves Isis fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target U.S. advisers and Afghan forces. We must deny them operational space. "The U.S. took all steps to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |