A JET that mysteriously crashed in Taliban territory was an American military craft, US forces have confirmed.
The Taliban claim to have shot down the plane but US officials say there is "no sign" the craft was shot down, reports say.
The plane went down earlier today in eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province.
Local media reported everyone on board was killed in the crash.
And American officials today confirmed the craft was an Air Force E-11A airborne communications plane with "less than five on board," tweeted Fox News journalist Lucas Tomlinson.
The cause of the crash in the snow-covered mountainous region of Deh Yak district is also not yet clear but US bosses say there is "no sign" it was shot down.
Reporting on the crash has been scant as Afghan officials struggle to gain access to the Taliban-controlled site.
Little to no details about the plane or its tragic passengers had been confirmed in the hours following the crash, leading to several conflicting reports.
The majority have since been discredited.
MYSTERY CRASH
Earlier today, in a tweet from an unverified account, it was claimed there were "five to six" American commandos dead, including pilots.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a US Air Force plane crashed in the region after they shot it down, killing "lots of US service members".
The group have alleged everyone on board, including high ranking CIA officers, were killed in the crash.
Unverified pictures circulating on social media show a burnt-out shell of a plane.
It is not yet confirmed whether any of the pictures shared are from the scene itself.
Eagle eyed social media users pin-pointed the crashed craft pictured as a potential E-11A surveillance aircraft which has since been confirmed.
Visible registration numbers on the plane matched to that particularly type of jet but again and a star-shaped marking on the side of the wreckage tipped eagle-eyed social media users to guess the craft's American origins.
REPORTS UNCONFIRMED
Earlier conflicting reports had claimed the aircraft belonged to a contractor of coalition forces in Afghanistan with four foreigners on board – all dead.
And local media reported two pilots' bodies were removed from the wreckage.
Two officials originally confirmed the craft as "foreign," following some confusion about a state-owned passenger plane crashing in the region earlier today.
These reports were subsequently retracted with the CEO of the airline, Mirwais Mirzakwal refuting the claims.
Mr Mirzakwal said: "It does not belong to Ariana because the two flights managed by Ariana today from Herat to Kabul and Herat to Delhi are safe".
It is not yet confirmed as to where the plane came from, but some report it as belonging to the US army.
According to earlier reports, senior defense officials in Kabul said no American or NATO forces’ jets had crashed.
However, US Army Maj. Beth Riordan, a spokeswoman for US Central Command confirmed earlier today American military bosses were investigating reports of the crash, with the plane's US origins later confirmed to the public.
“There is no exact information on casualties and name of the airline,” Ghazni provincial governor Wahidullah Kaleemzai told private broadcaster TOLOnews.
The broadcaster also says Afghan special forces are set to attend the site, with victims' remains transported via ambulance to a separate Taliban-controlled site.
According to reports, the Taliban were at the scene and attempted to stem the flames from the wreckage.
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