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1st LD Writethru: Toll of IS militants killed by U.S. big bomb in Afghanistan reaches 94: local gov't

Xinhua, April 15, 2017 Adjust font size:

The death toll of Islamic State (IS) militants killed by a massive bomb in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar reached 94, the provincial government said on Saturday.

On Thursday evening, the U.S. military dropped a GBU-43 or Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb, on an IS complex in Achin district of the mountainous province bordering Pakistan.

"The latest reports found 94 militants were killed following Thursday's airstrike in Mohmand Dara village, Asadkhil area of Achin district," the local government said in a statement.

Among the killed militants were four key local IS commanders named Amza Abubakir, Hamid, Mohammad Ebrani and Walkin, brother of deceased IS leader Hafiz Saeed as well as several foreign militants, the statement added.

The raid also destroyed a big IS hideout along with several bunkers, 300-meter-long tunnels as well as a huge weapon and ammunition depot.

No civilian casualties were reported as of Saturday morning, according to the statement.

The province, with Jalalabad city as its capital, 120 km east of Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces, Taliban militants and IS fighters over the past years.

More than 1,900 IS militants, several Afghan security forces and two U.S. soldiers have been killed in Achin and neighboring districts since early 2015 when IS emerged there, according to Afghan military officials.

A U.S. Special Forces member was killed in Achin over the weekend. Endit