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The Taliban claim to have shot down a US military spy plane - killing everyone on board, including CIA officers - over its territory in central Afghanistan.

Footage shows the burning wreckage of a jet bearing the logos of the US Air Force and Air Combat Command.

The US Department of Defense has not yet commented, but is understood to be investigating reports that a military plane had crashed in Afghanistan's Ghazni province

Ghazni Governor Wahidullah Kalimzai told local media that the bodies of two pilots had been recovered and the aircraft was foreign.

It resembled a Bombardier E-11A, a type of surveillance plane the US Department of Defense has used in Afghanistan, according to local media.

Afghan security forces, rescuers and investigators were unable to access the site because it was under Taliban control.

The Taliban did not provide any evidence to back up its claims that it shot down the aircraft.

All passengers were killed when the plane crashed in the snow-covered Deh Yak district, a remote and mountainous area, Shamshad News reported.

There was confusion in the aftermath, with senior government officials initially claiming it was a commercial Boeing 737-400 operated by Ariana Afghan Airlines.

But the state-owned carrier said none of its jets had crashed and government officials later said the plane was foreign.

(Image: Twitter) (Image: Twitter)

The aircraft went down south-west of Kabul at about 1.15pm local time on Monday.

Ari Noori, a spokesman for Mr Kalimzai, told the BBC that the plane was foreign, but officials didn't know where it was from or who it belonged to.

Members of the Taliban went to the crash site and attempted to put out a fire, and Afghan soldiers and air crash investigators were attempting to access the scene, according to reports.

But Afghan special forces faced security issues, including roadside bombs, it was reported.

Journalist Bilal Sarwary wrote on Twitter that the plane crashed about nine miles from the centre of Deh Yak district.

He added: "After the crash, there was a big deafening noise, Taliban now trying to put an end to the fire, TWO tribal elders in the area tells me."

Later, he wrote: "ANDSF [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] not in the area, area is TB [Taliban] controlled and there are road side bombs, am told."

After local officials claimed the plane belonged to Ariana, the airline's acting CEO Mirwais Mirzakwal told Reuters: "There has been an airline crash but it does not belong to Ariana because the two flights managed by Ariana today from Herat to Kabul and Herat to Delhi are safe."

Earlier, three senior Afghan government officials said one of Ariana's planes had crashed.

(Image: Twitter)

(Image: Google Maps)

Afghan media, quoting officials, said more than 80 people were on board.

But the statements were later retracted and officials confirmed that it was not an Ariana plane.

Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said the cause of the crash was not known.

Afghan special forces were being sent to the site, TOLO News reported.

Ambulances were to transport the victims' remains to a Taliban-controlled location, it was reported.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, had earlier told Reuters that the group was checking on reports of the plane crash.