Saudi Arabia Helicopter Crash Today: Two National Guard Officers Killed in Najran as Houthis Claim They Shot Down an Apache

Saudi Arabia Helicopter Crash Today: Saudi Arabia is facing renewed security challenges along its border with Yemen, where escalating military confrontations have raised concerns over missile and drone attacks. Against this backdrop, a Saudi National Guard AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the southwestern Najran region on Sunday, October 18, killing both officers on board.

The Saudi-led coalition attributed the accident to a technical malfunction, while Yemen’s Houthi group separately claimed that its forces had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near the border. Authorities have not established whether the two sides were referring to the same incident.

Saudi Arabia Helicopter Crash Today: Saudi Coalition Confirms Helicopter Crash in Najran

Major General Turki Al-Maliki, official spokesman for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, confirmed the helicopter crash in a statement on Sunday.

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According to Al-Maliki, the AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter belonged to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of National Guard and crashed inside Saudi territory in the Najran region. He said a technical malfunction caused the accident, which killed the aircraft’s two-officer crew.

“The helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction, resulting in the martyrdom of its two-officer crew,” he said in a statement posted on X.

Al-Maliki also offered condolences to the families of the deceased officers and prayed for mercy for the victims. The coalition’s initial statement did not disclose their identities or provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Saudi Arabia Helicopter Crash Today: Houthis Claim They Shot Down Saudi Apache Helicopter

The crash report followed a claim by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, who said on Saturday that the group’s forces had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran.