US Military Shoots Down Another Flying Object Over Lake Huron

Washington: Another flying object has been shot down by the US military on Sunday which was roaming above Lake Huron on the US-Canadian border.

This is the fourth in a dramatic series that began with the downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon a week ago.

Jittery Americans have been watching the skies as the mysterious incursions unfolded against a backdrop of acute tensions with China — although only the first object has so far been attributed to Beijing.

The object was flying at 6,100 metres (20,000ft), and while it was not a military threat, it could have potentially interfered with domestic air traffic, Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said in a statement.

It was shot down at 2:42pm local time (19:42 GMT) over Lake Huron on the US-Canada border, the statement said.

It was the fourth unidentified flying object to be shot down over North America by a U.S. missile in a little more than a week.

The object appeared to be octagonal in structure, with strings hanging off but no discernable payload, said a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity.