USAF C-130J crash in Afghanistan kills 11

A Lockheed Martin C-130J aircraft operated by the US Air Force has crashed at Jalalabad airfield in Afghanistan.

The crash occurred 19 minutes after midnight on Friday 2 October, says a statement from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing based at Kabul’s Bagram airfield.

It confirms that six military personnel and five civilians were killed in the crash.

The aircraft was assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, which is part of the 455th.

“First responders are on the scene,” says the statement. “The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.”

The statement provided no other details about the crash.

Media reports quoting US officials indicate that the aircraft was taking off when it crashed.

Jalalabad is located to east of Kabul, near the border with Pakistan.