US jet shoots down new mystery 'object' over Canada

A US fighter jet shot down an unidentified object over Canada on Saturday -- in a joint operation by the North American neighbors and the second such take-down in their skies since the dramatic downing of a Chinese balloon a week ago.

According to Press TV, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he ordered the takedown of the object, the latest of a series of mysterious air intrusions.

"Canadian and US aircraft were scrambled, and a US F-22 successfully fired at the object," Trudeau tweeted Saturday.

Trudeau said that Canadian forces in the Yukon "will now recover and analyze the wreckage of the object."

He said he spoke with US President Joe Biden over the latest incursion, while Canada's defense minister also said she spoke with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The two "reaffirmed that we'll always defend our sovereignty together," Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand tweeted.

Saturday's operation came after the United States said Wednesday that suspected Chinese balloons like the one it shot down were part of a "fleet" that has spanned five continents, as NATO joined in voicing concern.

US and Canadian planes flew together to take on the object Saturday, the US Department of Defense said.

"President Biden authorized US fighter aircraft assigned to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to work with Canada to take down a high-altitude airborne object over northern Canada today," Pentagon Spokesman Pat Ryder said in a statement.

One of two F-22 fighter jets monitoring the object fired an AIM 9X missile that brought it down, it said.

The White House said Biden and Trudeau spoke Saturday, and "commended NORAD's and US Northern Command's strong and effective partnership and agreed to continue their close coordination to detect, track, and defend our airspace."

ME