US destroys Chinese surveillance balloon

The US has destroyed a giant Chinese surveillance balloon which has been allegedly spying on important military sites across America.

The Department of Defence confirmed says it deployed its fighter jets to bring down the balloon.

A US defence official said an F-22 fighter jet with high altitude swiftly engaged the balloon and brought it down with great intensity.

In a statement from the Pentagon, an official says the balloon was of intelligence value to the US.

Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry have protested what it described as US’s use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft.

The Chinese authorities have denied it is a spying aircraft, and instead said it was a weather ship blown astray.