Dozens of suspected drones have been spotted flying over states on the East Coast of the United States, sparking concern from local officials.

Mysterious flying objects overhead. Concern and confusion. And calls for military intervention. This isn’t the plot of “War of the Worlds,” but rather the result of numerous unidentified possible drone sightings on the East Coast in recent weeks.

The White House, Pentagon and Homeland Security (DHS) have all said there's no evidence that the reported drone appearances state-wide pose a threat to national security. "It appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully", the FBI and DHS have said in a statement.