A White House official says a US fighter jet has shot down a high-altitude object flying over Alaska on the order of President Joe Biden, as it posed a "reasonable threat" to the safety of civilian aircraft.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on Friday said the object went down on the far northeastern part of Alaska near the Canadian border.
Kirby said the object was the size of a small car and was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet, or about 12,000 meters.
He also said the object did not appear to be maneuverable and was at the mercy of the wind.
He added the object differed in size and altitude from the Chinese balloon that the US shot down last week.
Kirby said the origin and purpose of the unidentified object was unclear. The US military plans to recover the debris of the object.(NHK)
