On Monday, Jan. 27, conflicting reports about a plane crash in Afghanistan are flooding social media with unverified images and videos. NBC News, which says it analyzed crash site images, reports that a U.S. military plane crashed in central Afghanistan. The Associated Press, however, reports that U.S. Army Major Beth Riordan, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, told the news outlet that it is still investigating and that it’s not yet clear who owns the aircraft involved. According to the outlet, she declined to comment on the Taliban’s claims. A U.S. official told NPR the “small American fixed-wing” plane crashed due to mechanical problems, and that the two people on board died.
In its analysis of photos and videos reportedly from the scene, NBC suggests the plane appears to be a U.S. E-11 aircraft, bearing what appears to be a U.S. military insignia. A U.S. E-11 aircraft is a small plane that usually holds a two-person crew, NBC News reports.
The crash reportedly occurred in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan, though there are conflicting reports on where, precisely, it happened. Ghazni is south of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city. Because of the location and Taliban control, it’s difficult for reporters to gain access and verify details and accounts.
Journalist Tariq Ghazniwal told the Associated Press he saw two bodies in the burning aircraft, and that the front of the plane was burned, however, his reports haven't been independently verified. Provincial government spokesperson Arif Noori also told CBS News there were two bodies, noted they were both pilots, and that the plane was entirely destroyed. Noori spoke to The Washington Post and said all on board were “non-Afghans” and that the aircraft belonged to a “foreign company.”
Ariana Afghan Airlines, the country's state-owned airline, gave a statement saying that the plane was not one of its own, as reported by CBS News. The news outlet, which reports a translation of the text, says the airline posted to its Facebook that all flights are “operating normally.”
“There has been an airline crash but it does not belong to Ariana because the two flights managed by Ariana today from Herat to Kabul and Herat to Delhi are safe," CEO Mirwais Mirzakwal told Reuters.
"An aircraft of American occupiers has crashed in Ghazni province," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said as reported by Al Jazeera, adding that “lots” of U.S. military service members died. In speaking to the Post, Mujahid said: “our mujahideen [fighters] tactically crashed the plane” and offered no further explanation. As CBS notes, the Taliban took credit for the crash, but it’s made similar claims in the past without it being true.
Daily Kos will update as more information becomes available.