US jet shoots down 'unidentified cylindrical object' flying over Canada

Days after the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon, the country's fighter jet has now shot down an unidentified object flying over Canada. According to Canadian officials, the object was cylindrical in shape and its wreckage would be analysed in the coming days.

Team Newsable

First Published Feb 12, 2023, 9:56 AM IST | Last Updated Feb 12, 2023, 9:56 AM IST

A US F-22 fighter plane shot down an unidentifiable cylindrical object above Canada on Saturday. Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, verified the report, stating that the item was shot down over the northern Yukon area. According to Trudeau, Canadian military would collect and examine the wreckage.

This was the second such shootdown in a number of days, and North America is still on high alert as a result of the controversy over Chinese spying balloons that captivated the world's attention for a week.

Commenting on the development, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand said the object which was shot down was cylindrical in shape. She, however, declined to speculate about the origin of the object.

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Anita Anand claimed the object was smaller but resembled the Chinese balloon that had been shot down off the coast of South Carolina a week before. She also stated the thing was flying at 40,000 feet and presented a threat to civilian aviation traffic.

The White House reported that Saturday's development followed a phone call between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden. The object was discovered by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) above Alaska late on February 10th, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Brig Gen Pat Ryder.

The object was intensively observed and tracked by NORAD throughout the period of the previous 24 hours, according to the White House, and the President's national security team was regularly informing him of its condition.

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"Out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of their militaries, President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau authorized it to be taken down," the White House said, adding that Biden authorised US fighter aircraft assigned to NORAD to conduct the operation and a US F-22 shot down the object in Canadian territory in close coordination with Canadian authorities.

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