The U.S. military dropped a 22,000 pound Massive Ordnance Air Blast weapon on a target in Afghanistan on Thursday, making it the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat.
Although the $314 million GBU-43/B, known as the "mother of all bombs" was developed by the U.S. after its invasion of Iraq, it was never used until now.
Afghanistan's former president Hamid Karzai condemned the bombing on Twitter.
"I vehemently and in strongest words condemn the dropping of the latest weapon, the largest non-nuclear bomb, on Afghanistan by U.S.," he said. "It is upon us, Afghans, to stop the U.S."
The attack targeted ISIS militants in the Achin district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. According to the country's defense ministry, 36 militants were killed in the attack and no civilians were hurt.
But many are skeptical of this statement and outraged by the U.S. action.
The district is home to approximately 150,000 residents, mainly Pashtuns. With the bomb's blast radius stretching one mile in each direction and a cloud that can be seen from some 20 miles away, the U.S. military's "best efforts" to avoid civilian casualties – which have been notably faulty as of late – can't exactly be trusted.
Ironically, as American whistleblower Edward Snowden, who is currently seeking asylum in Russia, pointed out on Twitter, the bomb targeted a network of underground tunnels which were funded by the U.S. in the 1980s when the CIA supported Jihadists fighting the Soviet Union.
Many on social media are criticizing the U.S.' military decision.
With President Donald Trump in charge, there has been a noted increase in U.S. military bombings throughout the world – not to say that the administration of Barack Obama wasn't already bombing many countries on a regular basis.
Civilian casualties from U.S. strikes are on the rise. In just Iraq and Syria, nearly 500 civilians were killed by the U.S. military in March alone. When strikes by coalition allies are factored in, the number increases to almost 1,000.
As Afghani journalist Ali M Latifi pointed out on Twitter, the Achin district isn't an empty region.
"Achin is not 'the middle of nowhere,' it's home to families, many who have suffered under Daesh [a term for ISIS]," he said.