This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/us-backed-afghan-forces-unable-to-reach-site-of-us-surveillance-plane-that-crashed-in-taliban-territory/2020/01/28/0dec2dc6-41a8-11ea-99c7-1dfd4241a2fe_story.html
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| U.S. forces recover bodies of two U.S. service members from site of plane crash in Taliban territory in Afghanistan | U.S. forces recover bodies of two U.S. service members from site of plane crash in Taliban territory in Afghanistan |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| U.S. forces recovered the bodies of two U.S. service members believed to have been aboard a U.S. surveillance plane that crashed in Taliban territory in Afghanistan, a U.S. official said Tuesday. | U.S. forces recovered the bodies of two U.S. service members believed to have been aboard a U.S. surveillance plane that crashed in Taliban territory in Afghanistan, a U.S. official said Tuesday. |
| Taliban attacks, poor weather and heavily mined roads thwarted previous recovery attempts Monday by U.S. and Afghan forces after the crash in Ghazni province, Afghan officials said. | Taliban attacks, poor weather and heavily mined roads thwarted previous recovery attempts Monday by U.S. and Afghan forces after the crash in Ghazni province, Afghan officials said. |
| Flight recorders were being analyzed to determine the cause of the crash, the U.S. official said, but added the military had detected no signs the plane was shot down or that the troops had been killed by enemy action. The U.S. official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record. | Flight recorders were being analyzed to determine the cause of the crash, the U.S. official said, but added the military had detected no signs the plane was shot down or that the troops had been killed by enemy action. The U.S. official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record. |
| Wahidullah Kaleemzai, Ghazni's provincial governor, said American forces launched the recovery attempt Tuesday after an operation alongside Afghan forces Monday night was aborted because of a Taliban attack and poor weather. | |
| “Helicopters and drones flew above the site [Monday] night but could not land,” he said by phone Tuesday. Another local lawmaker, Hameedullah Nawroz, said roadside bombs placed by the Taliban on routes leading to the crash site also prevented recovery attempts. | |
| The U.S. military command confirmed the crash Monday of a U.S. Air Force Bombardier E-11A in a statement from Col. Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. | |
| One Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told The Washington Post that insurgent forces shot down the plane, but other Taliban statements Monday said the plane “crashed.” | |
| Mujahid also claimed in a statement that the crash killed “high-ranking CIA officials on board,” but a second U.S. official said Tuesday that “there was no one senior” aboard the plane. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. | |
| The U.S. military has not released the identities of the two service members who were killed. | The U.S. military has not released the identities of the two service members who were killed. |
| The crash took place in Deh Yak district, an area considered a Taliban stronghold long under the insurgents’ control. Ghazni is one of Afghanistan’s most volatile provinces, with the Taliban contesting several districts. In 2018, the insurgents overran Ghazni’s provincial capital, and that same year a Taliban-claimed roadside bomb killed three American soldiers there. | The crash took place in Deh Yak district, an area considered a Taliban stronghold long under the insurgents’ control. Ghazni is one of Afghanistan’s most volatile provinces, with the Taliban contesting several districts. In 2018, the insurgents overran Ghazni’s provincial capital, and that same year a Taliban-claimed roadside bomb killed three American soldiers there. |
| The U.S. Bombardier E-11A is an electronics surveillance aircraft that helps boost tactical communications on the battlefield. In Afghanistan, it is used to help transmit communications between ground units and commanders, which is often a challenge in the country’s mountainous and rugged terrain. | The U.S. Bombardier E-11A is an electronics surveillance aircraft that helps boost tactical communications on the battlefield. In Afghanistan, it is used to help transmit communications between ground units and commanders, which is often a challenge in the country’s mountainous and rugged terrain. |
| The crash occurred as peace talks between the Taliban and American negotiators remain stalled. The United States is demanding a reduction in violence before formal talks can resume. Taliban leaders offered a proposal to reduce violence earlier this month. | |
| Peace talks have brought with them an intensification of the conflict in Afghanistan in recent months, as U.S. and Taliban negotiators have sought to leverage battlefield victories. A peace agreement would include the withdrawal of thousands of U.S. troops from the country. | Peace talks have brought with them an intensification of the conflict in Afghanistan in recent months, as U.S. and Taliban negotiators have sought to leverage battlefield victories. A peace agreement would include the withdrawal of thousands of U.S. troops from the country. |
| There are about 13,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military command in Kabul. At the war’s height in 2010 and 2011, there were more than 100,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan. | |
| Earlier this month, a roadside bomb attack in Kandahar province left two U.S. service members dead and two wounded. Last year, 20 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan, more than any other year since 2014. | Earlier this month, a roadside bomb attack in Kandahar province left two U.S. service members dead and two wounded. Last year, 20 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan, more than any other year since 2014. |
| Sharif Hassan and Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul contributed to this report. | Sharif Hassan and Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul contributed to this report. |
| The Afghanistan Papers — A Secret History of the War | |
| U.S. military plane crashes in Taliban territory in Afghanistan | U.S. military plane crashes in Taliban territory in Afghanistan |
| Two American service members killed in Taliban-claimed attack | Two American service members killed in Taliban-claimed attack |
| Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world |
| Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news | Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news |