ISLAMABAD: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Monday claimed that their militants have shot down a US military aircraft over Ghazni in central Afghanistan, “killing many senior officers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)”. The Taliban’s claim, if proved right, may jeopardise the Afghan peace dialogue between the Taliban and the US government with assistance from Pakistan. Zabihullah said that the aircraft was being used for “surveillance”. It appears to be the Bombardier/Northrop Grumman E-11A — a surveillance and communications plane, employed by the US Air Force. If an agreement was sealed between the Taliban and the US, it could have revived a long-term solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

Source: Pakistan Today January 27, 2020 16:18 UTC