The Pentagon is denying Taliban reports that the terrorist group shot down a U.S. C-130 early Friday morning.
A U.S. Air Force C-130J crashed near Jalalabad Airfield in Afghanistan, killing six U.S. troops and five civilian contractors. The cargo plane was assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, according to an Air Force statement.
A Talban spokesman reportedly tweeted that some of the group’s extremists shot down a U.S. aircraft near Jalalabad, according to Agence France-Presse.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but a defense official said there is no initial evidence hostile activities played any role.
“Enemy fire is not suspected as a factor in the crash,” the official said. “There is, however, an ongoing investigation by officials to determine the cause of the crash.”
Defense Secretary Ash Carter released a statement Friday afternoon expressing his condolences to the families of the Americans and Afghans who died in the crash.
“While we are still trying to determine exactly what happened, this is a reminder of the risks that our men and women face serving their country in remote places all over the world,” Carter said. “Let us not forget the importance of their service, and the critical mission they died supporting.”
