An unmanned US spy plane crashed today near a remote village in south-western Pakistan not far from a military base being used by US forces, according to police and area residents.
"The plane, which was on a routine surveillance mission, lost contact with the Jacobabad air base at 3.30 a.m.," Mr Mohammed Mustafa, a police official in Jacobabad said. "We don't know cause of the crash."
Jacobabad is roughly 180 miles east of the border with Afghanistan. There was no immediate comment from the US military.
At least five unmanned Predator spy planes being used in the war in Afghanistan have crashed since the US-led coalition's campaign in neighbouring Afghanistan began on October 7th.
APTwo aircraft crashed in just one week in January, but the US military at the time said they were not fired upon. There was no indication that hostile fire was involved in today's crash.