Baghdad, A circulating video clip monitored an explosion in the sky over Billings, Montana, in the United States of America, where the Chinese “spy” balloon was flying.
Dolly Moore, who captured the clip, said she “saw a jet go by very quickly and then there was an explosion in the sky.
As the video spread on social media, US defense officials said: “The blimp over Montana did not explode.
It comes after the US State Department called the balloon, which was flying over US airspace at an altitude of 60,000 feet, a “clear violation” of US sovereignty, but said it would not be shot down because it was flying over “a number of sensitive locations”.
US officials said the balloon was large enough that its destruction would cause debris to fall, threatening the safety of people on the ground.
Analysts explained that the airship is about the size of “3 buses” and can be equipped with high-tech equipment, including cameras, sensors and radar.
F-22 fighter jets were mobilized to track it as it flew over Montana, which borders Canada.
A US defense official said the balloon entered US airspace “two days ago,” but its exact location was not disclosed.
However, Montana Senator Steve Daines warned that the balloon may have been targeting his state’s nuclear missile fields.
Daines wrote to the Department of Defense: “Montana plays a vital role in national security by housing nuclear missile silos at Malmstrom AFB.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency