U.S. spy plane crashes in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - An unmanned U.S. spy plane crashed Saturday near a remote village in southwestern Pakistan, not far from a military base being used by U.S. forces, according to police and residents. <br> <br> ``The plane, which was on a routine surveillance mission, lost contact with the Jacobabad air base at 3:30 a.m.,&#39;&#39; said police official Mohammed Mustafa. ``We don&#39;t know the cause of the crash.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military. <br> <br> There was no indication that hostile fire was involved in Saturday&#39;s crash. <br> <br> At least five unmanned U.S. Predator spy planes have crashed since the U.S.-led anti-terror campaign was launched in neighboring Afghanistan on Oct. 7. <br> <br> Two spy planes crashed in just one week in January, but the U.S. military at the time said they were not fired upon. <br> <br> Predator spy planes are often seen in the skies over Jacobabad, said resident Mohammed Azim Khoso. U.S. forces have been stationed there since September, when Pakistan threw its support behind the coalition&#39;s war on terror in Afghanistan. <br> <br> ``Usually these planes fly in the area during the night,&#39;&#39; Khoso said. <br> <br> Residents have protested the presence of U.S. forces at the military base on the edge of Jacobabad, about 180 miles east of the Afghan border. Pakistan says the forces stationed there are not combat soldiers, but rather logistical support troops for coalition forces in Afghanistan.

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