New Delhi, June 16 -- A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday (June 15) at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California's Mojave Desert, triggering an emergency response and temporary suspension of flight operations, officials said.

Edwards Air Force Base confirmed the incident on social media, saying the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. local time.

"A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 am," the base said in a statement posted on Facebook.

It added that emergency teams were immediately deployed to the crash site and that operations were ongoing.

The Air Force said responders rushed to the scene immediately after the c...