Soldiers and Taliban terrorists clash near the site of downed US jet in Afghanistan

US-backed Afghan government forces and Taliban fighters clashed as the troops tried to gain access to the wreckage of a US military plane.

The security forces were reportedly ambushed by the Taliban, which controls the territory where the jet crashed in central Ghazni province, a police chief claims.

A Taliban spokesman claims Afghan forces backed by US military support had tried to capture the area around the crashed aircraft, but were repelled by fighters from the Islamist militant group.

The US has disputed the Taliban’s claims that it shot down the plane, with one American defence official claiming the aircraft suffered a mechanical error.

Afghan and foreign troops were planning to conduct an operation to access the wreckage in snow-covered Deh Yak district, where the plane went down on Monday afternoon.

The Taliban hasn’t provided any evidence to back up its claims that it downed the Bombardier E-11A, which had US Air Force and Air Combat Command logos, in the remote and mountainous region.

There were conflicting claims over the number of dead and people on board.

Source: Mirror