Army Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, said in a written statement that the strike was created to minimize the risk to Afghan and USA forces conducting clearing operations in the Achin area "while maximizing the destruction" of IS fighters and facilities.
The aerial black and white video shows a massive blast in a remote part of the country, followed by a thick plume of smoke.
Between 600 and 800 ISIS militants are believed to be in Afghanistan, the AP reported, citing US official estimates.
Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, is a hotbed of IS militancy.
"It is going to have a profound effect not just in the immediate area, but the concussion extends for a considerable distance", he said.
The attack killed some 36 suspected ISIS militants, and no civilians were hurt, according to the Afghan Defense Ministry.
"This was the first time that we encountered an extensive obstacle to our progress", he said of a joint Afghan-U.S. operation that has been targeting Islamic State since March.
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The office of President Ashraf Ghani said there was "close coordination" between the US military and the Afghan government over the operation, and they were careful to prevent any civilian casualties.
The bombing brought whining from the left who apparently didn't believe President Donald Trump when he said he'd "bomb the s**t out of them".
USA special forces and Afghan commandos are now inspecting the site, Nicholson said, adding, "the weapon achieved its intended objective".
"We had persistent surveillance over the area before, during and after the operation, and now we have Afghan and USA forces on the site, and see no evidence of civilian casualties", Nicholson said.
"I want a hundred times more bombings on this group", said Hakim Khan, 50, a resident of Achin district, the site of the blast.
District Gov. Ismail Shinwari added that there was no civilian property near the location of the airstrike. "It is upon us, Afghans, to stop the United States of America".
The U.S. has more than 8,000 troops in Afghanistan, training local forces and conducting counterterrorism operations.
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