Pentagon confirms airplane crash in Afghanistan; denies Taliban shoot-down

The US military confirmed on Monday that its E-11A military aircraft had crashed in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province but, despite claims by Taliban insurgents that they shot it down, said there were “no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire.”

The Taliban had earlier claimed that US military personnel aboard the military plane, including high-ranking officials, had been killed in the crash.

The Pentagon stated: “A US Bombardier E-11A crashed today in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. While the cause of crash is under investigation, there are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire. We will provide additional information as it becomes available. Taliban claims that additional aircraft have crashed are false.”

“While the cause of crash is under investigation, there are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire,” a US military spokesman, Colonel Sonny Leggett, said in a statement.

“Taliban claims that additional aircraft have crashed are false,” Colonel Leggett wrote on Twitter.

The military aircraft, built by Bombardier Inc, is used to provide communication capabilities in remote locations.

The military did not say how many were on board or if anyone was killed.

- With agenices