US shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon

Officials to recover remnants after Biden orders takedown

- GUSTAF KILANDER

The US military has shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast.

The move comes as the airspace along the coast of North and South Carolina had been closed amid the national security operation.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that president Joe Biden had given the green light for the operation to go ahead.

The Federal Aviation Administration FAA) issued a ground stop affecting three airports in North and South Carolina as the balloon drifted through its airspace, a spokesperson said.

“The FAA has paused departures to Wilmington ILM), Myrtle Beach International MYR) and Charleston International CHS) airports to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort,” the statement said ahead of the balloon being taken down.

The balloon is suspected of having conducted spying activities on the US military.

Four US officials said earlier that the plan was to bring it down over the ocean and to recover remnants of the balloon, the Associated Press reported.

Planes were seen circling the balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before it was brought down.

President Joe Biden said yesterday that he ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible”.

He added that military leaders chose to wait until the balloon was above water as it was the safest place to do it”.

“They successfully took it down and I want to complement our aviators who did it,” he said after getting off Air Force One on his way to Camp David, according to the Associated Press.

In a statement yesterday, defence secretary Lloyd Austin said Mr Biden authorised the takedown of the balloon on Wednesday as soon as possible without undue risk to American lives,’ CNN reported.