Story highlights According to Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis, the plane was hit by small arms fire, damaging one of the plane's stabilizers

The pilot returned the plane safely back to Bagram Airfield, where he landed unharmed

Washington (CNN) An American F-16 took fire over Afghanistan last Tuesday, forcing the pilot to make an unscheduled landing.

The Pentagon did not disclose the incident until media reports emerged.

According to Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis, the plane was hit by small-arms fire, damaging one of the plane's stabilizers. That forced the pilot to jettison two external fuel tanks and three pieces of munitions before landing safely.

A statement from the U.S.-led NATO coalition later on Monday said the F-16 "encountered fire in the Paktia Province in Afghanistan, which hit one of the aircraft's stabilizers and damaged one of the munitions."

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