Saudi National Guard helicopter crashes in Najran, killing two crew

RIYADH — A Saudi National Guard AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the Najran region in the southwest on Sunday, killing both crew members, the Saudi-led coalition's spokesman said.

The spokesman for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Turki Al-Maliki, said the aircraft went down inside Saudi territory because of a technical malfunction. He announced the deaths in a statement on X.

Arab News reported that the helicopter belonged to the Ministry of National Guard and came down near the Saudi border with Yemen. Middle East Eye said the crash happened in an area under the ministry's jurisdiction.

"The helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction, resulting in the martyrdom of its two-officer crew," Al-Maliki said, according to Arab News.

He offered condolences to the families of the two officers, the same report said.

Cause and unconfirmed details

The coalition has given a technical malfunction as the cause. The reports do not say what the malfunction was. They do not say whether an investigation has begun.

The names and ranks of the two officers have not been released in the material available. The reports give no details on the mission the helicopter was flying or the exact crash site.

The two outlets describe Al-Maliki's rank differently. Arab News calls him a major general. Middle East Eye calls him a brigadier general.

Neither report links the crash to hostile fire. Both attribute the cause only to the coalition statement.

Background

Arab News said the crash came as Saudi Arabia remained on heightened alert during a renewed wave of attacks by Yemen's Houthi group. Najran lies on the kingdom's southwestern border with Yemen. The outlet said it has been targeted repeatedly in Houthi attacks.

Earlier on Sunday, coalition air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Khamis Mushayt and a drone aimed at the Riyadh region, according to Al-Maliki. Arab News said residents of Riyadh and Khamis Mushayt had received mobile phone alerts from the General Directorate of Civil Defense. The alerts warned of a "hostile aerial threat" and told people to stay indoors and away from windows.

On Saturday, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed four drones over Riyadh, the Eastern Province and southern regions. It also said it had destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in Yemen's Saada governorate, according to Arab News.

Arab News described the incidents as part of an escalation since Yemen's conflict reignited in July after years of relative calm. It said Saudi Arabia has faced repeated missile and drone attacks aimed at airports, energy facilities, transport infrastructure and other strategic sites. The outlet said an attack on Riyadh airport last week killed 13 people, citing previous reports.

Coalition air strikes have continued against Houthi military positions and infrastructure in Yemen, Arab News said. It said the strikes aim to curb missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, on government-controlled areas of Yemen and on international shipping routes.