US military recovers 2 bodies from Afghan plane crash site

US have recovered remains of two personnel from a military aircraft that crashed in Ghazni province.

A wreckage of a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, is seen Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. The aircraft crashed in Ghazni province on Monday, A U.S. military aircraft crashed
The cause of the plane crash has yet to be made public [File: Saifullah Maftoon/AP Photo]

The United States has recovered the remains of two personnel from a US military aircraft that crashed in Afghanistan, US and Afghan officials told Reuters News Agency.

On Monday, the US military said an E-11A aircraft had crashed in the province of Ghazni, but disputed claims by the Taliban that they had brought it down.

“US forces recovered the remains of two personnel from the site where a US Bombardier E-11A aircraft crashed in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan,” a US military statement said.

The statement said the remains were “treated with dignity and respect by the local Afghan community”.

The forces recovered what is believed to be the flight data recorder and the destroyed remnants of the jet built by Bombardier Inc, and is used to provide communication capabilities in remote locations.

“The cause of the crash remains under investigation, however, there are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire,” the statement added.

The official said the aircraft had been carrying no other individuals apart from the two service members.

Ghazni provincial police chief, Khalid Wardak, also confirmed to Reuters that the bodies of two airmen were airlifted by the US forces.

On Tuesday, Afghan forces and Taliban fighters clashed in a central region where the US military plane crashed as the government tried to reach the wreckage site in a Taliban stronghold.

Peace talks 

The incident came as the Taliban and the US have been in talks to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan.

Trump has long called for an end to US involvement in Afghanistan, which began with an American invasion in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks blamed on al-Qaeda.

Negotiations between the two sides began last year in Doha but have been interrupted at least twice after Taliban attacks on US military personnel in September and December.

Last week, another round of talks kicked off with US Special Representative on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad meeting repeatedly with the Taliban’s chief negotiator, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Source: Reuters