The United States shot down an unidentified object over Alaska less than a week after a U.S. fighter jet brought down a Chinese spy balloon.
 
At a news conference on Friday, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council, said that a high-altitude object was spotted over the northeastern coast of Alaska and it was shot down by a fighter jet at around 1:45 p.m. local time.
 
Kirby said the object was “much, much smaller" than the spy balloon taken down last Saturday and was roughly the size of a small car. He added it was flying at an altitude of 40-thousand feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flights.
 
The U.S. has yet to confirm where the object came from or what its purpose was. It plans to retrieve the debris for further investigation.
 
Meanwhile the U.S. Department of Commerce has sanctioned six Chinese aerospace companies suspected to be involved in Beijing's surveillance-balloon program as the Pentagon continues to analyze the downed balloon.