“Welcome Lt. Gen. HR #McMaster to Kabul and thank you for your continuous support,” Afghanistan’s presidential palace tweeted. On Thursday the US military in Afghanistan dropped its GBU43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, dubbed the “Mother of All Bombs”, in combat for the first time on IS hideouts in the Achin district of Nangarhar province. 

Afghanistan’s defence ministry on Sunday put the death toll at 95 militants and no civilians. The attack triggered global shock waves, with some condemning the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that is not considered as big a threat as the resurgent Taliban. 

It came a week after US President Donald Trump ordered missile strikes against Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack, and as China warned of the potential for conflict amid rising US tensions with North Korea.

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