Taliban says target US military plane in Afghanistan

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Taliban said it had shot down a US military plane in the central Afghan province of Ghazni on Monday, killing all personnel on board.

“The plane, which was on an intelligence mission, was brought down in Sado Khel area of Deh Yak district of Ghazni province,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said in a statement, adding that everyone on board, including high ranking officers, had been killed.

Wreck of a plane crashed today in Afghanistan looks like to be a US Air Force Bombardier Global 6000 / E-11A “BACN” (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node).

Taliban in its statement said " The plane, which was on an intelligence mission, was brought down in Sado Khel area of Deh Yak district of Ghazni province," and added, "The aircraft was destroyed in the crash and all crew along with multiple senior CIA officials killed."

Images said to be of the crashed plane show an aircraft bearing US Air Force markings, which appear similar to other E-11A surveillance aircraft.

"U.S. Central Command is aware of the reports of a U.S. aircraft crash in Afghanistan," said Army Maj. Beth Riordan, a CENTCOM spokeswoman. "We are currently monitoring the situation and will provide additional information when possible."

Images on social media purportedly of the crashed plane showed an aircraft bearing U.S. Air Force markings similar to other E-11A surveillance aircraft photographed by aviation enthusiasts. Visible registration numbers on the plane also appeared to match those aircraft.

The so-called Battlefield Airborne Communications Node can be carried on unmanned or crewed aircraft like the E-11A. It is used by the military to extend the range of radio signals and can be used to convert the output of one device to another, such as connecting a radio to a telephone.

Colloquially referred to by the U.S. military as “Wi-Fi in the sky,” the BACN system is used in areas where communications are otherwise difficult, elevating signals above obstacles like mountains. The system is in regular use in Afghanistan.

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