TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chinese fighter jets on Thursday (Oct. 19) reportedly intercepted a Canadian surveillance aircraft in Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) before being driven out by Taiwan's Air Force.

At 9 a.m., the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that 10 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military aircraft and four People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected. Of the detected aircraft, one crossed the median line and both entered the southwest sector of Taiwan's ADIZ.

The MND said it monitored the situation with its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system and, in response, scrambled combat patrol aircraft, dispatched naval vessels, and deployed land-based air defense missile systems.

At 10 a.m., the MND announced that additional PLAAF aircraft had been detected heading into the Taiwan Strait and 13 had crossed the median line and entered the central, northern, and southwest ADIZ. The types of aircraft reportedly included Chengdu J-10 fighter jets, Shenyang J-16 fighters, Sukhoi Su-30 combat jets, Shaanxi Y-8 and Y-9 aircraft, and drones.

In addition, the MND said that the Chinese military aircraft were conducting joint combat readiness patrols with PLAN naval vessels.

At 11:13 a.m., Taiwanese aircraft spotter Taiwan ADIZ reported on Facebook that a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Lockheed CP-140 Aurora had appeared in Taiwan's northern ADIZ. Chinese fighter planes were then reportedly dispatched to intercept the Canadian aircraft.

However, according to the aircraft spotter, they were later driven away by Taiwan's Air Force interceptors. In addition, aircraft from the U.S. military were spotted as well, including one Bombardier CL-600, one RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, one P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine warfare (ASW) jet, and one KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft.

The MND has yet to respond to a request from Taiwan News to comment on the report that a Chinese fighter jet had intercepted a Canadian aircraft in Taiwan's ADIZ.