A Saudi helicopter crashed in the southwestern Najran region due to a ‘technical fault’, killing both crew members, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said on Sunday.
According to a statement, the reconnaissance AH-6i helicopter went down in an area under the jurisdiction of Saudi Arabia’s National Guard Ministry.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in Najran, where Houthi fighters have stepped up attacks in recent weeks as clashes with the coalition intensified. The conflict in Yemen has also emerged as another front in the US-led war with Iran.
On Saturday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed on X that the group had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran while it was conducting operations against Houthi positions along the border.
Responding to the claim on Sunday, al-Maliki posted a photograph of several Apache helicopters lined up, dismissing the Houthi account and suggesting that the aircraft would soon return to combat operations.