Taiwan shoots down drone off Chinese coast for first time

Taiwan’s military for the first time shot down an unidentified civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast on Thursday, after

Taiwan’s military for the first time shot down an unidentified civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast on Thursday, after the government vowed to take tough measures to deal with an increase in such intrusions.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own against the strong objections of the Taipei government, has held military exercises around the island since early last month in reaction to a visit to Taipei by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Taiwan’s government has said it will not provoke or escalate tensions but has been particularly angered recently by repeated cases of Chinese drones buzzing islands controlled by Taiwan close to China’s coast.

The defense command for Kinmen, a group of Taiwan-controlled islands opposite China’s Xiamen and Quanzhou cities, said in a statement released by Taiwan’s defense ministry that the drone entered restricted air space over Lion Islet just after midday local time (midnight ET).

Troops on the islet tried warning it away but to no effect, so shot it down, with the remains landing in the sea, it added.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/taiwan-china-drone-shot-down-first-time-xi-jinping-rcna45813

---