The US has destroyed a giant Chinese surveillance balloon which has been allegedly spying on important military sites across America.
The Department of Defence confirmed says it deployed its fighter jets to bring down the balloon.
According to the BBC, a US defence official said an F-22 fighter jet with high altitude swiftly engaged the balloon and brought it down with great intensity.
”The military is now trying to recover debris which is spread over seven miles (11km). Two naval ships, including one with a heavy crane for recovery, are in the area.”
In a statement from the Pentagon, an official says the balloon was of intelligence value to the US.
“While we took all necessary steps to protect against the PRC [China] surveillance balloon’s collection of sensitive information, the surveillance balloon’s overflight of US territory was of intelligence value to us.
“We were able to study and scrutinise the balloon and its equipment, which has been valuable,” the official noted.
Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry have protested what it described as US’s use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft.
The Chinese authorities have denied it is a spying aircraft, and instead said it was a weather ship blown astray.
Writing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade; Editing by Abdullahi Lamino