Massachusetts Lawmakers, Citizens React to Bombing of ISIS Target

Reaction is pouring in across Massachusetts Thursday after the U.S. dropped the "mother of all bombs" on an ISIS target in Afghanistan.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Ed Markey spoke at Lexington High School. He says he hasn't been briefed by the Pentagon yet, but has one main question:

"Whether or not there were civilian casualties, and if there were, what were the extent of them?" Sen. Markey said.

Markey wouldn't say what an acceptable number of civilian casualties is, but if there are casualties, he says it could backfire on the U.S. He's afraid ISIS could use it as a recruitment tool.

Democratic U.S. Congressman Seth Moulton says dropping bombs on terrorists is the "easy part," but he questioned a long-term solution.

Right now, the Pentagon says the MOAB bomb, the military's largest non-nuclear bomb, was dropped on a cave complex in eastern Afghanistan. But other than that, little information has been released.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she wants to hear more from the generals out in the field on "why they thought this was the right bomb and the right moment."

NBC Boston spoke to one Lexington resident who said he worked as a civilian for the Air Force for 30 years.

"Unfortunately, these things have to happen," he said. "I wish they didn't have to happen."

The U.S. military is currently assessing the damage.

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