C-130 plane crashes at Afghanistan's Jalalabad airport: US defense official

WASHINGTON: An American C-130 military transport plane crashed at Jalalabad airport in Afghanistan, a US defense official said Thursday

Eleven people, including six US troops, were killed when a C-130 military transport plane crashed Friday in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, an official said.

"The crew and passengers were killed," US Army Colonel Brian Tribus said, noting that five civilian contractors were also on the plane. The crash occurred at about midnight local time on Friday morning

The C-130 Hercules is a cargo plane built by Lockheed Martin. It is powered by four turboprop engines and is used extensively by the military to ship troops and heavy gear.

Jalalabad is in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. The Pentagon said it was "gathering further information.”