Also known as the "mother of all bombs", the GBU-43 is a 21,600 pound (9,797 kg) GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003, just days before the start of the Iraq war. Some sources say the bomb can penetrate to depths of 100 feet before detonating, leaving behind a blast diameter of up to two miles.
The U.S. has used the bomb's predecessor, a smaller but still massive weapon known as the "Daisy Cutter", in Afghanistan before.
"Everybody knows exactly what happened, and what I do is I authorise my military", he said. "We have the greatest military in the world, they've done a job, as usual, so we have given them total authorisation and that's what they're doing, and frankly, that's why they've been so successful lately", he said.
But the official said that in general, "We don't approve every strike", adding that, "This administration has moved further away" from dictating military strategy from the White House.
President Trump said: "We are so proud of our military".
The device, called the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, contains 11 tons of explosives.
The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb is the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used by the USA in a conflict.
The bomb was dropped by an MC-130 aircraft, stationed in Afghanistan and operated by Air Force Special Operations Command, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump told CNN.
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It said that its air strikes hit an arms depot containing toxic gas and blamed the rebels for storing such chemical materials.
It is not known why the bomb had not been used until now, however Department of Defense spokesman Eric Pahon has told 9news.com.au the ISIS cave complex was a case of "right timing and the right situation". The bomb never has been used in combat. "Must be more aggressive against ISIL everywhere - including Afghanistan."-(CNN).
General John Nicholson, the USA commander for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation mission in Afghanistan, defended the use of the bomb and confirmed the target of the strike was the network of tunnels that ISIS uses to move around and protect themselves from Afghan and United States forces.
It was not immediately clear how much damage the bomb did. "Pleased Air Force dropped MOAB against ISIL in Afghanistan".
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said of the strike: "The GBU is a large, powerful and accurately delivered weapon.
And in order to defeat the group, we must deny them operational space, which we did", said Spicer.
A separate non-nuclear weapon known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, which is larger in its physical dimensions, but carries a smaller load of conventional explosives, is created to take out deeply buried targets like reinforced bunkers.
The United States took "all precautions necessary to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage", he said.
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