Washington, February 5: The United States of America on Saturday shot down the Chinese surveillance balloon that was flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
“After ascertaining that the balloon was intended to spy over the sensitive installations and also posed a threat to the people, President Joe Biden ordered that the balloon be shot,” US state department press release stated.
The Chinese spy balloon had coveted quite a distance and had hovered from Montana to South Carolina.
“It had touched the Canada’s air space. As it touched North America, the US defense forces and intelligence agencies realised that the balloon’s motive was not bonafide and its intention was unfriendly. After obtaining permission from the President the US Commandos shot down the balloon,” the US authorities said.
It may be recalled that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had planned a visit to Beijing when the suspicious-looking Chinese balloon was spotted in US air space.
Blinken cancelled his visit to China and Joe Biden held a meeting with security forces and intelligence agencies to handle the situation.
After watching the balloon for 36 hours and its course of journey, US authorities were convinced that the Chinese balloon was ‘not in US interests’
China, however, maintained that it had ill-motive in sending the balloon. But US was not convinced with this bland statement of China.
