Two Saudi officers killed in Najran helicopter crash; UAE offers condolences

Two officers were killed when a reconnaissance helicopter belonging to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of National Guard crashed in the Najran region. The United Arab Emirates expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and offered condolences following the crash, the Emirates News Agency, WAM, reported on Oct. 18. The UAE Foreign Ministry conveyed sympathy to the officers’ families and to Saudi Arabia and its people in a statement. [ 1 , 3 ]

Gulf News reported that the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen attributed the crash in southwestern Saudi Arabia to a technical malfunction. Major General Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition’s spokesperson, identified the aircraft as an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter and said it had crashed inside Saudi territory. Both crew members were officers, he said. Al-Maliki offered condolences to their families and loved ones and prayed for mercy for the officers and patience for their relatives. [ 1 ]

The coalition did not provide further details about the circumstances of the crash, according to Gulf News. Its account also reported that Al-Maliki responded to a Houthi claim that an Apache helicopter had been shot down in the Najran region. He posted a photograph of Apache helicopters on a tarmac with a message saying one would enter the field soon and telling readers to remember its appearance. [ 1 ]

WAM’s report described the aircraft involved in the fatal crash as a National Guard reconnaissance helicopter and said the UAE’s Foreign Ministry had expressed condolences over the deaths of the two officers. Gulf News also reported the UAE’s condolences in a later headline. [ 3 , 4 ]