The Air Force chief of staff has confirmed that a U.S. surveillance plane crashed in Afghanistan.
Gen. David Goldfein said that a Bombardier E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node crashed on Monday, according to Military.com. The plane went down in Ghazni province, which has been held by the Taliban since 2015.
“It appears we have lost an aircraft. We don’t know the status of the crew,” Goldfein said, noting that officials are still investigating the crash.
Provincial government spokesman Arif Noori said the bodies of two pilots were found at the crash site but didn’t mention other casualties. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the crash, although it has been known to exaggerate or fake involvement in past incidents.
Goldfein would not say if the United States thinks the aircraft was shot down. He warned that early media reports can be inaccurate.
“In my experience … first reports? Always wrong,” he said.
There were reportedly fewer than five people on board the aircraft when it crashed.
The Air Force referred questions about the crash to the NATO-led Operation Resolute Support mission. The Washington Examiner reached out to Resolute Support for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
