US NSA lands in Kabul for strategic talks
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KABUL: US National Security Advisor Gen. H.R McMaster arrived in Kabul on Sunday days after the American military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State group hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, killing nearly a hundred militants.
On his first visit to the country as President Donald Trump’s envoy, McMaster said on Twitter he was set to hold “very important talks on mutual cooperation”.
“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 GBU-43/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.
