An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft crashed in northern Syria Tuesday, the Air Force announced.
The RPA was on a combat mission when operators lost control of the aircraft. It was not hit by enemy fire, the Air Force said in a statement.
The remains of the crashed RPA were apparently targeted by airstrikes, as the Air Force said the Reaper "was destroyed by coalition aircraft and is not in enemy hands."
There were no reports of civilian injuries or damage to civilian property because of the crash, the service said.
An official investigation will attempt to determine the cause of the crash. Air Force Times will update this story when more information becomes available.
According to information from Air Forces Central Command, RPAs have been heavily involved in the air campaign against the Islamic State terrorist group. Reapers and their smaller cousin, the MQ-1 Predator, have flown roughly one-third of all Air Force sorties against the extremists.
Another Reaper crashed June 7 during a training mission in the Nevada desert north of Las Vegas. The Air Force is still investigating the cause of that crash as well.
