C-130 crash in Afghanistan
Six U.S. airmen and five civilians were killed when a C-130J crashed Friday shortly after takeoff at Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, according to a 455th Air Expeditionary Wing news release.
Four of the airmen were deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; and the other two came from Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, the Friday news release says. The fallen airmen’s names will be released 24 hours after their next of kin are notified.
While the crash is still under investigation, enemy fire is not suspected as a factor, the news release says. A Taliban spokesman had reportedly claimed on Twitter that the group had shot the C-130 down.
An Air Force spokesman confirmed that there were additional fatalities on the ground. “We know we have fatalities on the ground, however I cannot confirm the amount or disposition of them…who they are or in what capacity they served at Jalalabad Airfield,” said Maj. Tony Wickman, a spokesman for the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing.
