US forces recover two bodies near wreckage
US forces on Tuesday recovered two bodies near the wreckage of a military jet that crashed in a Taliban-controlled area of eastern Afghanistan, after Afghan forces trying to reach the scene clashed with insurgents.
The Bombardier E-11A -- used for battlefield communications -- went down in a snowy area on Monday.
"US forces recovered the remains of two personnel from the site," the US military said in a statement.
"The remains were found near the crash site, treated with dignity and respect by the local Afghan community, in accordance with their culture," the statement said.
The remains of the plane were destroyed by US forces, it added, noting that the flight data recorder was recovered for analysis, as the investigation into the crash continues.
"There are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire," the US military reiterated.
Ghazni police chief Khaled Wardak said US helicopters landed at the site in the late afternoon and were reinforced by Afghan security forces on the ground during the operation.
"Following the removal of the bodies, our forces have moved back to their bases," added Wardak.
Earlier in the day, coalition forces flew sorties over the site of the crashed jet with one aircraft firing flares as a crowd gathered nearby, according to a local reporter at the scene.
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