World · Middle East · 3 hrs ago
Saudi helicopter crash in Najran kills two crew members
A Saudi AH-6i helicopter crashed in Najran, a region of southern Saudi Arabia near Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition said a technical malfunction caused the crash, which killed the two crew members, both officers.
The helicopter belonged to Saudi Arabia’s National Guard Ministry and crashed within Saudi territory.
Yemen’s Houthi group separately said it had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran while targeting Houthi positions along the border.
It is unclear whether the Houthi claim refers to the same helicopter, and the coalition’s account differs on the cause.
The incident highlights the competing claims around military activity on the Saudi-Yemen border, but no further action was announced.
A Saudi AH-6i helicopter crashed in the Najran region, killing its two crew members, according to the Saudi-led coalition.
The coalition said the crash was caused by a technical malfunction.
The crew consisted of two officers, according to the coalition’s spokesman.
A Houthi spokesman said earlier that Houthi forces had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran.
It was unclear whether the coalition and Houthi statements referred to the same helicopter.
- Who
- Two officers serving as the helicopter’s crew were killed.
- What
- A Saudi AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed. The coalition attributed the crash to a technical malfunction.
- When
- The coalition announced the crash on Sunday, October 18, 2026. The Houthi claim was made on Saturday.
- Where
- The Najran region of Saudi Arabia, in an area under the jurisdiction of the Saudi National Guard Ministry.
- Why
- The coalition said a technical malfunction caused the crash. A Houthi spokesman separately claimed Houthi forces had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran.
Saudi-led coalition
Houthi forces
Cause of incident
Saudi-led coalition
The coalition said an AH-6i helicopter crashed because of a technical malfunction.
Houthi forces
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Houthi forces had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran.
Aircraft and event
Saudi-led coalition
The coalition identified the crashed aircraft as an AH-6i and said two crew members died.
Houthi forces
Saree described the aircraft as an Apache and said it was carrying out hostile activities targeting Houthi positions along the border.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on X that Houthi forces had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran.
The Saudi-led coalition announced that an AH-6i helicopter had crashed in Najran due to a technical malfunction, killing two crew members.
- Aircraft
- AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter
- Crash location
- Najran region, Saudi Arabia
- Casualties
- Two officers
- Reported cause
- Technical malfunction, according to the coalition
- Coalition spokesman
- Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki