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Analysts Cast Doubt on Claims About Afghan Bombing

Say ”mother of all bombs” caused far less damage than reported.

New analysis has raised questions about the U.S. military’s use of its “mother of all bombs” in Afghanistan last month, in what was billed as a “very clear message to ISIS.” The Afghan government claimed, after the April 13 bombing in Nangarhar province, that the weapon killed 94 ISIS militants and that it harmed no civilians. Now, an independent study by Alcis, an institute for geographic analysis, has raised questions about the amount of damage originally reported. Alcis studied images and ground footage of the site. It reportedly found 38 buildings and 69 trees destroyed within a 160-yard radius, contradicting various statements from local officials who had said the bomb damaged homes as far as two miles away. What’s more, the institute remained skeptical of the number of militants allegedly killed. “I’m staggered by that,” said Managing Director Richard Brittan. “I simply don’t understand where they can get that number from.”