- 剛剛: 一名美國官員告訴美國有線電視新聞網,美國軍方擊落了這個疑似 中國間諜氣球 ,擊落前該氣球在卡羅萊納州附近的東海岸漂流。
- 五角大樓稱,該氣球 幾天前 首次在美國大陸上空被發現,但官員們認為 在陸地上空擊落它太危險了。
- 美國官員稱該氣球被用於監視,駁斥了中國關於它是一架民用研究飛機的說法。美國國務卿安東尼·布林肯因目擊事件而推遲了對中國的訪問。
- 與此同時,五角大樓周五晚間表示,在拉丁美洲上空發現了另一個中國間諜氣球。
US military has shot down the Chinese spy balloon off the East Coast, US official says
From CNN's Kevin Liptak, Zachary Cohen and Oren Liebermann
The US military has downed the suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean, a US official says.
The balloon was first spotted in the sky over Montana earlier this week and traveled across the middle of the country following weather patterns before it exited the continental United States on Saturday.
Prior to the balloon being shot down, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for airports in Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The FAA also restricted airspace near Myrtle Beach “to support the Defense Department in a national security effort.”