Iran's state news agency is reporting the country's armed forces have shot down a US drone that violated Iranian airspace along the eastern border.

The semi-official news agency Fars and the government-controlled English-language broadcaster Press TV also reported the incident. Fars says the plane is an RQ170 type drone and is now in the possession of Iran's armed forces. The type of drone is made by Lockheed Martin.

It was reportedly used to keep watch on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. The surveillance aircraft is equipped with stealth technology, but the US Air Force has not made public any specifics. Iran said in January that two spy drones it had shot down over its airspace were operated by the US. It offered to put them on public display.