Published : 18 Oct 2026, 03:47 PM
Updated : 18 Oct 2026, 03:47 PM
A reconnaissance AH-6i helicopter crashed in the Najran region of Saudi Arabia, killing its two crew members, the Saudi-led coalition's spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said in a statement on Sunday.
The helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction in an area under the jurisdiction of the Saudi National Guard Ministry, the statement added.
Yemen's Houthis released footage later on Sunday of what they said was a Saudi AH-6i helicopter being shot down by a missile while carrying out what they described as hostile activities near Najran.
The footage did not clearly show the incident, and Reuters could not immediately verify the Houthis' claim. There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.
On Saturday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on X that the group had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran. It was not clear if that referred to the same incident.
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."
Najran has been subject to attacks by the 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.