US jet crashes in Taliban territory in Afghanistan

A U.S. Air Force jet crashed in mountainous Taliban territory in Afghanistan on Monday.

U.S. Air Force spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett confirmed the crash of the U.S. Bombardier E-11A on Twitter.

“While the cause of crash is under investigation, there are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire,” he posted.

“Taliban claims that additional aircraft have crashed are false,” he added in a reply to the tweet.

A U.S. 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.

— USFOR-A Spokesman Col Sonny Leggett (@USFOR_A) January 27, 2020

Provincial government spokesperson Arif Noori told CBS News that the bodies of two pilots were found at the site with the completely destroyed plane. He said the plane was thought to have been flying between Kandahar and Kabul. 

The Hill reached out to the Air Force for comment.

The Taliban reportedly claimed credit for downing the plane, but the group has a pattern of taking responsibility for events it is not involved with. Taliban spokesman Zabinhullah Mujahid claimed “lots” of U.S. service members were killed, Al Jazeera reported. 

The U.S. Air Force uses the jet that crashed as a flying command and communications hub, according to CBS News. 

Reports initially said Afghan officials thought the downed plane belonged to state-owned Ariana Afghan, but Ariana Afghan CEO Mirwais Mirzakwal denied the reports and said all flights were safe, according to Reuters. 

— Updated at 1:11 p.m.