U.S. military shoots down third flying object in three days

The U.S. military on Sunday shot down an unidentified flying object above Lake Huron, the third such shootdown in as many days, following a week-long Chinese balloon spying saga that has intensified the hunt for violations of North American airspace, reports Reuters.

The officials who spoke on condition of anonymity declined to offer details about the latest object’s appearance. They also did not say whether it was maneuverable or simply floating with air currents.

President Joe Biden ordered a F-16 fighter to shoot down the latest object "out of abundance of caution," a senior administration official said, reports AFP.

This new device -- described as an octagonal structure with strings hanging off it -- was not deemed to be a military threat to anything on the ground, but it could have posed a hazard to civil aviation as it flew at about 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) over Michigan, the official said.