Donald Trump called for the alleged Chinese spy balloon hovering over US airspace to be shot down on Friday. The former President’s Truth Social post came as an explosion appeared to rock the sky over Billings, Montana, where the balloon was last seen. However, defence officials were quick to say that the Chinese spy balloon last seen hovering over the town had not been shot down.
Mysterious video posted to Twitter appears to show white smoke over the town. Dolly Moore, who posted the video, said she “saw a jet go by so fast and then [saw an] explosion in the sky”.
As the video spread on social media, defence officials were quick to say that the balloon had not exploded and that videos purporting to show the balloon exploding were not real, according to Fox News correspondent Jen Griffin.
The City of Billings posted: “We are aware of the video shared on Twitter and claims of a ‘massive explosion’ over Billings.”
Others have echoed Trump’s call to destroy the balloon. One of Montana’s two Congressmen, Republican Ryan Zinke, said it should be shot down.
“Shoot. It. Down. The Chinese spy balloon is clear provocation. In Montana we do not bow. We shoot it down. Take the shot,” he said in a tweet.
The Pentagon said previously that it decided not to engage the balloon over fears that debris from an explosion could injure people on the ground.
China has claimed that the balloon is an unmanned, meteorological research ship which was blown over the US by accident.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that Beijing regretted the incident and the airship’s apparently unintended entry into US airspace.
The balloon reportedly flew over the Aleutian Islands into Alaska, continuing over Canadian airspace before crossing the border of the contiguous United States over Montana.
READ MORE: Joe Biden slammed over ‘intentional’ crisis at the US-Mexico border
One of three sensitive nuclear missile silo sites are housed in the at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, adding to officials’ concerns about the balloon.
The incident came as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was set to make his first trip to Beijing. However, that trip has been postponed while the administration weighs a broader response to the incident.
The Pentagon announced Friday night that another spy balloon had been detected over Latin America, although it did not say which country it was over. It does not appear to be heading towards the US, according to CNN.
GOP Senator from Montana Steve Daines called for an urgent security meeting over the spy balloon.
In a letter to the Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Senator Daines said he was “alarmed” the balloon was able to cross into US airspace in the first place.
DON’T MISS:
Meghan bullying claims review kept private to avoid ‘fanning flames’ [INSIGHT]
Teen arrested in connection with rape of student, 19, ‘hated it’ [ANALYSIS]
Harry and Meghan’s ‘whingeathon’ losing American support [REPORT]
“It is vital to establish the flight path of this balloon, any compromised US national security assets, and all telecom or IT infrastructure on the ground within the US that this spy-balloon was utilising,” he wrote.
The balloon is travelling above the US at approximately 60,000 feet. It is well above commercial US air traffic but below outer space.
Analysts have said the balloon in the size of approximately “three buses” and could potentially be housing high tech equipment including cameras and sensors.
Flights of F-22 fighter jets were dispatched to track the balloon although the device’s exact location at this time has not been shared by authorities.
