Taliban did not shoot down US military aircraft: Pentagon

Six US airmen and five civilians died after a US military transport aircraft crashed in the city of Jalalabad.  The six servicemen were the plane’s crew, and the five passengers were civilian contractors.
 
The Taliban issued a statement on Friday morning, saying they shot down the US Air Force C-130J transport plane.
 
"Our mujahideen have shot down a four-engine US aircraft in Jalalabad," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
 
US Air Force Maj. Tony Wickman said on Friday, “It is with high confidence that we can say it does not appear that enemy fire was involved.”
 
The US military has released few other details about the aircraft crash. Wickman said the military has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
 
Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. Although the attack overthrew the Taliban, many areas across Afghanistan still face violence and insecurity.