US military officials stated on Monday that an F-16 drone was struck by what they called "enemy fire" in eastern Afghanistan, in what believed a rare instance of an advanced fighter jet coming under a Taliban-claimed attack.

US military officials stated on Monday that an F-16 drone was struck by what they called "enemy fire" in eastern Afghanistan, in what believed a rare instance of an advanced fighter jet coming under a Taliban-claimed attack.

The $100 million jet sustained significant damage, forcing it to jettison its fuel tanks and munitions before returning to base, officials said.

The attack occurred last Tuesday in the Sayid Karam district of eastern Paktia province, much of which is under control of the Taliban takfiri group, who have been waging attacks against US-led NATO forces and government troops since they were forced from power in 2001.

The militant group claimed they had downed the jet in a statement posted on Twitter that evening, but when contacted for comment, the US military initially said it had no "operational reporting to support the Taliban claims".

Photographs of the site indicated the jet had lost two "drop-tanks" -- fuel tanks used to extend flight time -- an air-to-ground missile, and two other unguided bombs.

They also show masked militants posing with the hardware.

"On October 13, a US F-16 encountered small arms fire in the Paktia Province in Afghanistan. the US military confirmed late Saturday.