It has been nicknamed “The Flying Ginsu Knife” or the “Ninja Bomb.” It is one of the US’s most advanced military weapons, and it has been used as it was designed — to surgically remove ISIS-K operatives deemed responsible for the Kabul Airport Bombing with little or no “collateral damage.”

Instead of a conventional warhead, the aptly named “Flying Ginsu” missile releases a deadly swarm of knife-like blades at its intended target, slicing and dicing him into the next life like the famed Ginsu blade of late-night infomercials. The specialized Hellfire missile, which was transported by a Reaper drone, is called an R9X and packs no explosives. It instead ejects six large blades at the target of the strike to help reduce civilian casualties.  It has also reportedly been referred to as the “Ninja Bomb.”

Up until now, its use had not been disclosed, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing two US officials.

In its initial statement following the successful attack, US Central Command said the operation targeted a “planner” for ISIS-K, the group also known as the Islamic State Khorasan, which took credit for the deadly bombing attack, but the use of the “Flying Ginsu” was not disclosed in the statement at that time.

The Pentagon has not released the identities of the individuals targeted and killed in the airstrike, only saying that they, and another who was injured, had “ties to the Islamic State” and those responsible for the Kabul suicide bombing.

The strike site was in the Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. A neighbor reportedly said three people were killed and four wounded, including a woman, disputing the Pentagon’s report. 

Video of the strike site reviewed by the Wall Street Journal reportedly showed a small blast hole outside a home next to an auto-rickshaw that appeared to be charred. Windows shown in the footage were blown out, and walls were pocked with shrapnel.

The “Flying Ginsu” missile was first revealed by the Wall Street Journal in 2019, but the Department of Defense never officially acknowledged its existence. However, the outlet claims several US officials have described the missile and its use. 

Saturday’s airstrike was in retaliation for a suicide bomb attack outside the Kabul airport that killed 13 US military personnel and nearly 200 Afghans last Thursday. The attack came as hundreds of Americans and Afghan allies attempted to evacuate the embattled country following the Taliban’s takeover two weeks ago.  

Following the deadly attack, President Biden vowed to “not forgive” and “not forget” those responsible for the attack and said he had ordered US generals to plan retaliatory strikes on the group’s key assets.