An American military fighter F-22 shot down the Chinese balloon that was floating in the air off the coast of the state of South Carolina, Reuters reported.

The agency noted that this ended the dramatic saga that focused attention on the worsening US-China relations.

"We successfully brought it down and I want to congratulate our airmen who did it," said President Joe Biden

Joe Biden (Joseph Robin Biden) is an American politician. Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942 in

Biden added that he had given the order to bring down the balloon as early as Wednesday, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over the open sea.

The operation involved numerous US Air Force fighter jets and refueling aircraft.

However, only one F-22 fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile and shot down the plane, a senior US military official said.

The balloon was brought down about six nautical miles (just over 11 km) off the US coast, he added.

The balloon drop came shortly after the US government ordered flights to and from three South Carolina cities -- Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston -- to be suspended because of an unspecified "national security activity."

Flights resumed on Saturday afternoon.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin first reported the balloon's downing and said it was being used by China "in an attempt to conduct surveillance of strategic sites in the continental United States."

US Secretary of State slams China over spy bubble

The U.S. military did not immediately pick up the wreckage of the Chinese balloon, U.S. officials said.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier said it had temporarily grounded civilian flights in a 160-square-mile (260-square-kilometer) radius over the Atlantic Ocean and off the coast of South Carolina.

The service's statement also included a warning that the military could use lethal force if planes violated the restrictions and disobeyed orders to leave the blocked airspace.

Meanwhile, the Chinese balloon incident caused US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to postpone his visit to China this week. 

Joe Biden

USA

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