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Unmanned spy plane crashes in Pakistan

An unmanned Predator spyplane, similar to this one, crashed early Saturday in Pakistan.

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida (CNN) -- A unmanned U.S. Air Force spy plane crashed in Pakistan early Saturday during its return from a routine mission, according to the U.S. Central Command.

An RQ-1 Predator was operating "in support of Operation Enduring Freedom" when it went down at 5:30 p.m. Friday, a Central Command news release said.

Local officials told CNN that the plane crashed near Jacobabad, not far from a military base being used by U.S. forces.

It was the second such aircraft to crash in the operation's Central Command Theater, Central Command said. The accident was not the result of enemy fire and the aircraft was recovered, according to the news release. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

Central Command says an RQ-1 Predator is an unmanned reconnaissance and surveillance system designed to provide military commanders with high-resolution, real-time imagery.