B-1 bomber crashes in Qatar, cause unknown

A U.S. B-1 bomber crashed at an air base in Qatar on Friday, a U.S. defense official said, adding the cause was still unknown.

"A B-1 crashed. We're investigating," the official said. Qatar-based Al Jazeera television earlier said the plane was a B-52. The U.S. official said it was a B-1.

The B-1 is a long-range bomber aircraft capable of flying intercontinental missions without refueling and is able to penetrate sophisticated defensive networks. U.S. defense officials had few details on Friday's crash, saying they did not know how many people were on board or what mission the bomber was conducting.