27 January 2020 (Courtesy of AFP): A United States military spokesman confirmed the loss of the E-11A communications plane in Ghazni province and said there was no indication the jet had been shot down.

Afghan officials had early reported the loss of a plane in the Taliban-held province, but had mistakenly reported the aircraft was a civilian passenger jet belonging to the national carrier, Ariana.

Pictures share by Taliban-linked social media accounts instead showed wreckage from a Bombardier E11 BACN emblazoned with US Air Force insignia. The aircraft is known to operate from nearby Kandahar air field in southern Afghanistan and helps boost communications among troops on the ground.

A statement from US forces in Afghanistan said: "A US Bombardier E-11A crashed in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. While the cause of the crash is under investigation, there are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire."

There was no official indication of casualties, but Taliban reports said two badly burned bodies had been found in the wreckage and had  been handed over to local villagers.

Afghan officials had at first reported the crashed plane belonged to the national carrier, Ariana.

"At around 1:10 pm (0840 GMT) a plane crashed in Deh Yak district of Ghazni province. The plane is on fire and the villagers are trying to put it out. We still don't know if it is a military or commercial plane," Aref Noori, Ghazni's governor's spokesman, told AFP.