Colombia spots ‘object similar to balloon’ amid US-China row over ‘spy’ airship, Beijing confirms its origin
1 min read . Updated: 06 Feb 2023, 01:51 PM IST
PremiumOfficials said that an 'object' had entered its territory with 'characteristics similar to those of a balloon' last week. Earlier on Friday the Pentagon had said that a second Chinese spy balloon was seen across Latin America. The other country admitted today that this too was a Chinese balloon.
As the US shot down a Chinse ‘spy’ balloon over South Carolina, Colombia has also found itself dealing with a similar conundrum. Officials said that an 'object' had entered its territory with 'characteristics similar to those of a balloon' last week. The Pentagon had said on Friday that a second Chinese spy balloon was seen across Latin America.
Colombia's Air Force said they had “monitored" the suspicious object “until it left the national air space". While it flew at an altitude of 55,000 feet and an average speed of 46 kilometers per hour officials have clarified that the balloon-like structure did not constitute a threat to national security and defense or to aviation security."
The air force said it was conducting investigations in coordination with other countries and institutions "to establish the origins of the object."
Following this, China on Monday confirmed that this too was a balloon of Chinese origin. "It has come to be understood that the relevant unmanned airship is from China," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a briefing.
He claimed that the device had "seriously deviated from its scheduled route, and accidentally strayed over Latin America and the Caribbean."
No other Latin American country has so far reported spotting the craft.
Also read: US military says it is searching for remnants of Chinese spy balloon
Over the weekend an US fighter jet had shot down a Chinese balloon that had spent several days flying over North America. As tensions ratcheted up between Washington and Beijing, the latter had insisted that it was simply a weather balloon that had blown off course.
The US has now sent divers to salvage what they believe is spy equipment from the Chinese balloon. The government anticipates finding equipment capable of taking detailed photographs, along with other sensors. While China says the device was a climate-research “airship" that strayed off course, the US argues it was part of a broader spying program by Beijing.
(With inputs from agencies)
