US fighter jet shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina in response to Beijing’s “unacceptable violation” of US sovereignty.
President Joe Biden praised fighter pilots for bringing the balloon down in US airspace and above US territorial waters after it had been flying over the country for days.
“They successfully took it down. And I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said.
The operation was described as a “deliberate and lawful action” in response to China’s “unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The action took place following the temporary closure of three southeastern airports as part of a “national security effort,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The balloon appeared to be falling vertically to the ocean.
Officials in the United States were initially hesitant to shoot down the device, fearing that it would injure people and damage property on the ground.
Elsewhere, After initial hesitation, Beijing admitted ownership of the “airship,” but said it was a weather balloon that had been blown off course, adding that it regretted the situation.
“The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
