US fighter jet shoots down unidentified cylindrical object over Canada

"A US F-22 shot down the object in Canadian territory, using an AIM 9X missile following close co-ordination between US and Canadian authorities," a Pentagon spokesman said. Picture: Chris Drzazgowsk/U.S. Air Force/Handout via REUTERS

A US F-22 fighter jet shot down an unidentified cylindrical object over Canada on Saturday, the second such instance in as many days, as North America appeared on edge following a week-long Chinese spying balloon saga that drew the global spotlight.

Separately, the US military also scrambled fighter jets in Montana to investigate a radar anomaly that triggered a brief federal closure of airspace.