The helicopter crashed in an area under the jurisdiction of the Saudi National Guard Ministry
Reuters
18 October, 2026, 12:35 pm
Last modified: 18 October, 2026, 12:41 pm
A reconnaissance AH-6i helicopter crashed in the Najran region of Saudi Arabia due to a technical malfunction, killing its two crew members, the Saudi-led coalition's spokesman, Major General Turki al-Maliki, said in a statement on Sunday.
The helicopter crashed in an area under the jurisdiction of the Saudi National Guard Ministry, the statement added.
The south-western area of Najran has been subject to attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis in recent weeks as fighting between the coalition and the Yemen-based militant group escalated, with the Yemen conflict becoming another front in the US-led war with Iran.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a post on X on Saturday that the group had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran while it was carrying out what he described as hostile activities targeting Houthi positions along the border.
Al-Maliki commented on Saree's post on Sunday with a photo of several Apaches lined up, saying: "You claim to have shot it down, but it will enter the battlefield soon."