As many as 36 suspected Islamic State militants were killed in Afghanistan when the United States dropped "the mother of all bombs," one of the largest non-nuclear devices ever unleashed in combat, the Afghan defense ministry said on Friday.
The deaths have not been independently verified, but ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said no civilians were harmed in the massive blast that targeted a network of caves and tunnels.
"No civilian has been hurt and only the base, which Daesh used to launch attacks in other parts of the province, was destroyed," Waziri said in a statement.
At a village about 3 miles (5 km) from the remote, mountainous area where the bomb was dropped, witnesses said the ground shook, but homes and shops appeared unaffected.
"Last night's bomb was really huge, when it dropped, everywhere, it was shaking," said a resident, Palstar Khan, adding that he believed no civilians were in the area hit.
Other residents said they saw militants climbing up and down the mountain every day, making occasional visits to the village.
"They were Arabs, Pakistanis, Chinese and local insurgents coming to buy from shops in the bazaar," said resident Raz Mohammad.
On Friday, the village was swarming with Afghan and international troops, as helicopters and other aircraft flew overhead.
The strike was part of a joint operation by Afghan and international troops, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's office said in a statement.
"Afghan and foreign troops closely coordinated this operation and were extra cautious to avoid any civilian casualties," it said.
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai condemned the use of the weapon on Afghan soil.
"This is not the war on terror, but the inhuman and most brutal misuse of our country as testing ground for new and dangerous weapons," he said on social media network Twitter.
The Taliban condemned the use of the bomb, saying in a statement, "Using this massive bomb cannot be justified and will leave a material and psychological impact on our people."
U.S.'mother of all bombs' killed 36 Islamic State militants in Afghanistan | Reuters