An anti-junta group is claiming they shot down a Myanmar military jet in the east of the country on Saturday.

The junta has admitted to the crash. A Mizzima reporter was on the ground to report how the incident unfolded and filed a report.

The light fighter jet, carrying two pilots, came down Saturday between the eastern Kayin and Kayah states.

The aircraft is reportedly a Chinese-made K-8 light attack aircraft.

Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told state news MRTV that the jet was on a training flight and came down due to engine failure. He said both pilots were in contact with the military.

It comes as armed groups in Kayah state and the junta clashed over the weekend, Zaw Min Tun told MRTV.

The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) claimed to have shot down the plane, but did not detail how it had been brought down.

"We are looking for remains, and the two pilots now," KNDF chairman Khun Bedu said. At least one parachute was found on the ground, according to the Mizzima reporter.

The KNDF is among dozens of groups battling to restore democracy after the army ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's government.

AFP