North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) shot down an "unidentified object" over the Canadian territory of Yukon on Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, according to CTV News.
The Prime Minister added he ordered the object to be shot down after it violated Canadian airspace.
"Canadian and US aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object," Trudeau said in a statement on Twitter.
"I spoke with President Biden this afternoon. Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage of the object. Thank you to NORAD for keeping the watch over North America," he added.
Canada’s Defense Minister Anita Anand also confirmed that the object had been shot down, saying on Twitter that she discussed it with US. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "and reaffirmed that we'll always defend our sovereignty together."
NORAD confirmed in a statement to CTV News earlier on Saturday that it was monitoring a high-altitude airborne object flying over Northern Canada.
"Military aircraft are currently operating from Alaska and Canada in support of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) activities. NORAD confirms that we have positively identified a high-altitude airborne object over Northern Canada," NORAD and the US military's Northern Command said in a statement.
"While we cannot discuss specifics related to these activities at this time, please note that NORAD conducts sustained, dispersed operations in the defense of North America through one or all three NORAD regions. NORAD is a United States and Canada bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America."
Saturday’s incident comes one day after the US military shot down a "high-altitude object" flying over Alaska airspace on the orders of President Biden.
National Security Council official John Kirby said that the Department of Defense had been tracking the object for 24 hours before shooting it down.
While the incident comes a week after the US downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of the Carolinas, Kirby said the US is not referring to Friday’s object as a balloon and has yet to attribute to China or any other entity.
China said last week it is “strongly discontented” with the US downing of its surveillance balloon, adding it reserves the right for any necessary reaction to the incident.
Biden, however, said relations between Washington and Beijing were not weakened by the downing of the balloon.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Biden said it was always his view that the balloon needed to be shot down "as soon as it was appropriate."
Asked if the balloon incident weakens US-China relations, Biden replied, "No. We made it clear to China what we're going to do. They understand our position. We're not going to back off."