Kabul [Afghanistan]: Thirteen Indian nationals who had joined Daesh were among those killed in the MOAB bombing in Afghanistan’s Achin district.
Intelligence services in India have confirmed the death of their nationals, according to Tolo News.
Citing a source, Afghanistan based Tolo News reported that alongside dozens of Pakistani nationals, twelve Tajikistanis and thirteen Indian nationals were also killed in the bombing. The source said that at least 13 Daesh commanders were among the 96 killed in the “Mother of All Bombs”.
The report also identified two militants killed in the raid as Commander Mohammad, an Indian national and Geeta, an Indian national.
The report said that intelligence services in Tajikistan and India have confirmed the death of their citizens in the raid.
The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), nicknamed the “mother of all bombs” was dropped last week in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province to target a network of fortified underground tunnels that ISIS had been using to stage attacks on government forces in the province according to the U.S. administration.
The blast destroyed three underground tunnels as well as weapons and ammunition, but no civilians were hurt, Afghan and US officials claimed.
The 30-foot-long, GPS-guided bomb is capable of destroying an area equivalent to nine city blocks.
The US military previously estimated ISIS had 600 to 800 active fighters in the area.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he approved of the strike, and it was designed to support Afghan and US forces conducting clearance operations in the region. (ANI)