Twelve dead as Taliban 'shoots down US military plane'
A US military plane has crashed in Afghanistan killing 12 people including five US service members.
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The C-130 Hurcules is used to carry people and cargo
The
crew of service members were onboard along with five civilians who were
contracted employees of the US forces, according to a spokesman.
US
Army Colonel Brian Tribus said the C-130 Hurcules transport plane
crashed at Jalalabad Airport in eastern Afghanistan at about 19:30 GMT
(midnight local time).
GETTY
Around 40,000 Afghan troops are operating in the countryThe cause of the crash and status of crew and others onboard remains unknown
Colonel Tribus said: "The cause of the crash and status of crew and others onboard remains unknown."
He added: "We are gathering more information and will release as appropriate.
"[We're] not releasing nationalities of contracted civilians at this time."
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The four-engine turboprop aircraft is usually used to transport personnel and cargo.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the crash.
But Pentagon sources ruled out the possibility that the crashed C-130 was shot down.
The
cause of the crash is yet to be determined, but officials said there
have been no reports of enemy fire at the time of the incident.
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The US has almost 10,000 troops in Afghanistan
The US Air Force operates a base at the Jalalabad airport.
According
to NATO, there are about 1,000 coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan -
including US and Polish forces and around 40,000 Afghan troops.
The US has around 9,800 troops in Afghanistan, but the numbers are expected to decrease by the end of the year.
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