If this is true then someone has some explaining to do. The B-52 is a strategic bomber, thus it should not be on the ground in Afghanistan.
The B-52H is the most advanced variant of the Stratofortress, a design which is considered in many ways to be the most capable Western bomber ever designed.
The aircraft combines a high payload of advanced standoff munitions, capable of striking targets at extreme ranges of several thousand kilometres, with simplicity, reliability, durability and very low maintenance requirements.
The B-52H for its part is not designed to operate within short or intermediate ranges of modern missile attacks and heavily emphasizes striking enemy targets with missiles such as the AGM-86 at extreme ranges for precisely this reason.
More recently, the state of the art electronic warfare systems has been integrated to provide greater survivability against missile attacks.
These factors draw the Taliban’s claim in to question – as downing the bomber would require either a direct hit on the fuselage or the destruction of multiple engines – all while bypassing its electronic defences should missiles be used. The U.S. and the Afghan government have yet to comment on the incident.