US Air Force Fuselage: what is known about the plane crash in Afghanistan

The Pentagon is investigating reports of a plane crash in Afghanistan. This was stated by the official representative of the US Army Major Beth Riordan, reports AP.

According to her, the ownership of the aircraft has not yet been determined. She refused to give further comments on this topic.

Earlier in the province of Ghazni, a plane crashed. A spokesman for the governor’s office, Arif Nuri, told CBS that the aircraft was badly damaged and it’s not possible to determine its affiliation. According to him, two dead pilots were found.

Nuri emphasized that the plane crashed in an area controlled by the Taliban, which complicates search and rescue operations.

The Taliban * claimed responsibility for the crash. The corresponding message was published by the Afghan media. The movement stated that they "shot down" the military side of the United States.

📺 فیلم | هواپیمای سقوط‌ کرده در غزنی افغانستان ؛ نشان "نیروی هوایی ارتش آمریکا" بر روی بدنه این هواپیما دیده می‌شوt

A video appeared on the network, taken, allegedly, from the crash site. In particular, he is led by TOLOnews and FARS. According to published footage, the fuselage is marked with a symbol identical to that applied to U.S. airplanes.

The AP reports that the crashed aircraft is similar to the Bombardier E-11A, which is used by the US Air Force for air surveillance in Afghanistan.

In addition, RIA Novosti, citing sources, reported that the board belonged to the National Army of Afghanistan.

Earlier, the governor of the province of Ghazni, Wahidullah Kalimzai, said that the plane belongs to a foreign airline. Thus, he denied reports that it was a state aircraft Ariana Afghan Airlines.

“The plane crashed in Ghazni belongs to a foreign company and is not associated with any local airlines. The plane completely burned down, and there are no signs by which it would be possible to determine which company it belonged to, ”Sputnik quotes him.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Afghanistan reports that the plane was transported. The airline itself also denied the information that it was their board. Ariana Afghan Airlines official Facebook posted a message stating that all flights were successful.

The airline’s statement was confirmed by the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority. The agency on its Facebook page reported that all Ariana Afghan Airlines aircraft made flights without incident.

According to another version that appears in the media, the plane was passenger. Thus, according to Ariananews agency, there were 110 people aboard the liner and it flew from the Afghan city of Herat to Indian Delhi. The agency also quotes Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi as saying that the disaster occurred in a territory controlled by the Taliban.

At the same time, the TOLOnews television channel provides other data. According to them, the plane operated a flight from Herat to Kabul. The channel reports that on board the ship were no more than 83 people. TOLOnews also reports that authorities sent special forces to the scene of the accident.

Sputnik, citing eyewitnesses, reports that the Taliban were the first to arrive at the scene of the accident, who tried to put out the fire at the scene of the accident.

The last crash of a civilian ship in Afghanistan occurred in May 2010. Then the An-24 airline Pamir Airways crashed during a regular flight to Kabul from the northern province of Kunduz. The tragedy killed all 44 people on board.

It is worth noting that in the province of Ghazni, clashes often occur between Afghan forces and the United States on the one hand and the Taliban on the other. So, in mid-December, militants attacked a checkpoint in the province, but lost 11 people and retreated.

And in 2018, the battle for Ghazni took place - one of the largest Taliban offensives in the provincial capital, which killed about 200 Afghan soldiers and about 150 civilians. The militants lost up to 800 killed. Despite the defeat, the Taliban continue to keep several areas of the province under their control.

* “Taliban” - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2003.