The fate of the aircraft′s two crew members was unknown, the US military said in a statement, adding enemy fire was not involved in the crash of the F-15E in the early hours of Saturday in mountainous eastern Afghanistan.

Mohammad Qasim, acting district chief of Nawur district in southeastern Ghazni province, said the aircraft came down early Saturday and flames were seen rising from its wreckage.

"The plane crashed in Nawur district at around 2:00am (2130 GMT Friday) this morning. The area has been sealed off by US forces. Helicopters have arrived on the spot. We could see flames coming out of the wreckage," Qasim told AFP.

The Taliban has shot down several military helicopters since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, but the Islamic militants are known to lack weapons to hit fighter jets, which fly at a much higher altitude.

There are about 90,000 international troops in Afghanistan to fight a growing Taliban-led insurgency against the western-backed government in Kabul.

The US military, which makes up the bulk of the international military coalition here, operates the largest air force in Afghanistan.