{"id":12207,"date":"2017-10-09T17:17:53","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T17:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/10\/09\/afghanistan-airstrikes-hit-highest-point-in-years\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:13:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:13:18","slug":"afghanistan-airstrikes-hit-highest-point-in-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2017\/10\/09\/afghanistan-airstrikes-hit-highest-point-in-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Afghanistan airstrikes hit highest point in years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The number of weapons released in Afghanistan by the Air Force, other U.S. military services and allies hit the highest level in seven years in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coalition last month released 751 weapons against the Taliban and ISIS-Khorasan, an affiliate of the Islamic State group, a 50 percent increase over the 503 released in August, according to statistics posted online<\/a> by United States Air Forces Central Command. It represents the most bombs dropped since late 2010, when the bloody Battle of Sangin raged. The coalition dropped 739, 1,043 and 866 weapons in September, October and November of that year, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the summary accompanying the statistics, AFCENT said that the increase was due to President Trump\u2019s \u201cstrategy to more proactively target extremist groups that threaten the stability and security of the Afghan people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFCENT also said that the deployment of six additional F-16s to Bagram Air Base \u2015 bringing their total to 18 \u2015 contributed to the increased pace of airstrikes. The Air Force is also sending B-52 Stratofortresses on more missions to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a roundtable discussion with reporters at the Air Force Association\u2019s Air Space Cyber Conference last month, AFCENT commander Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian said the Air Force is working with the staff of Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, to figure out how best to use the additional air power deployed there. Harrigian said the F-16 deployments were planned before the administration\u2019s new Afghanistan strategy was announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harrigian also said at the conference that the B-52 has been flying several times a week on missions to strike ISIS in Iraq and Syria or to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\t