QUETTA/ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: An American surveillance drone crashed near the border town of Chaman, some 75km northwest of Quetta, on Thursday evening.

“It was an American spying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that crashed a few yards away from the Frontier Corps Fort in Chaman,” officials told Dawn. They said the surveillance drone flying over the Pak-Afghan border had suddenly come down and crashed some one kilometre inside Pakistan at about 7pm.

“There was a technical fault and no one hit the drone,” a senior FC official said, adding that the crash caused no casualty.

According to the officials, the size of the UAV was 6x6 feet and it was equipped with two powerful cameras and other spying equipment. The wreckage of the plane was taken into custody for investigation.

The officials said US forces had installed latest surveillance system inside Afghanistan and they also used unmanned aerial vehicles to carry out surveillance on both sides of the border.

The crash is likely to further exacerbate tensions between the US and Pakistan as officials in Islamabad are not ready to take it as a ‘technical violation’. A military spokesman confirmed that the plane was a US drone.

The incident indicates expansion of US drone operations to Balochistan, even though for surveillance purpose. The province has long been on US focus because of the alleged presence of Afghan Taliban who are said to be directing the insurgency in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has strongly opposed drone strikes in Balochistan. The only mention of drone strikes among the oft-mentioned redlines shared with the Obama administration had been in the context of Balochistan. Although security officials confirmed that the crashed drone was unarmed and hence did not per se constitute a case of a drone attack, still they were incensed that it was being used for spying in the area.

“Surveillance inside the border is not allowed. There is no such understanding with the US,” said a security official.

Investigations into the incident have been ordered. Officials following the situation, however, said it couldn’t be a technical violation and explanations would be needed.

Relations between the US and Pakistan have worsened since the May 2 raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad.

Subsequently, Islamabad expelled American military trainers and the US froze $800 million in security aid for Pakistan. The two may not have broken off, but efforts to repair the ties have not been successful so far.