The US military used a highly classified laser-weapon system to shoot down a party balloon, multiple outlets reported on Thursday, citing sources in the administration of President Donald Trump. The incident triggered an airspace closure over the Texas border city of El Paso.

The episode reportedly took place on Monday when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deployed a Pentagon-loaned counter-drone laser at Fort Bliss, near El Paso International Airport, to target suspected Mexican cartel drones. Reuters reported the system used was the AeroVironment LOCUST, a 20-kilowatt directed-energy weapon the US military has been testing to counter…

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