C-130 Hercules turboprop military transport aircraft in Afghanistan

A United States C-130 transport plane has crashed in Afghanistan, killing at least 11 people, including several US troops, civilian contractors and Afghan officials.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for shooting down the C-130, according to news outlets based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a claim denied by US authorities.

“Our Mujaheddin (Islamic Religious Fighters) have shot down a four-engine US aircraft in Jalalabad. Fifteen invading forces and a number of puppet troops were killed, various news outlets cited Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying.”

Six US service members and five civilian contractors on board died in the crash, according to a US military spokesman.

AFP and NBC reported that the plane crash claimed the lives of 12 people, including five US servicemen, five contractors, and two Afghani civilians.

A coalition spokesperson US Army Col. Brian Tribus has said the plane crashed shortly after midnight yesterday as per local time at Jalalabad Airport without specifying the cause of the accident.

News Agencies