In southern Afghanistan in the province of Ghazni, the 29-year old Dutch pilot Michael Donkervoort died when his F-16 fighter jet crashed.

"The plane was flying at a great height when the accident occurred, which means it can be ruled out that the craft was shot down. We therefore assume it was an accident," said the Dutch Defense Ministry.

There has been an investigation launched into the cause of the crash, which was found by a team of rescuers from the United States.

The jet was flying with another F-16 when it crashed.