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Two pilots were killed when a Saudi National Guard helicopter crashed near the Yemen border, the Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday. The announcement came after Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for shooting down an aircraft in the same area.
The coalition attributed the crash to a technical malfunction. The incident marked the first reported military fatalities since the long-running conflict with the Houthis reignited in July.
“An AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter belonging to the Ministry of National Guard crashed inside Saudi territory in Najran Region due to a technical malfunction,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
“The accident resulted in the martyrdom of its aircrew, consisting of two officers,” he added.
However, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed late on Saturday that the group had “downed an Apache helicopter belonging to the Saudi enemy” in the same area. The coalition’s account identified the crashed aircraft as an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter, while the Houthi statement described it as an Apache.
The latest incident comes amid a renewed escalation in Yemen’s conflict following an uneasy four-year truce.
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The Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month. Since then, the group has intensified attacks on Saudi targets, including tankers in the Red Sea, oil facilities and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
A week earlier, Houthi strikes reportedly killed 13 people at Riyadh’s international airport. The attack was described as Saudi Arabia’s deadliest in more than a decade.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has continued airstrikes against Houthi-controlled areas.
The coalition said overnight that it intercepted two drones in the Riyadh area and another over the oil-rich Eastern Province. Saudi authorities had also issued an alert in the capital.
In addition, the coalition reported intercepting two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, the Houthis said Saudi airstrikes had killed 12 people in Yemen, including three children. The reported casualties have not been independently verified in the information provided.
The Houthis have also declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and seized territory near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The strategic waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a vital route for international shipping.
The latest escalation comes as regional tensions have disrupted key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded, according to the report.
The attacks have raised concerns about the security of shipping and energy exports across the region.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s parliament was scheduled to hold an emergency session on Sunday after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked lawmakers to authorise support for Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks.
Sisi said on Saturday that Egypt was willing to “carry out any measure to protect” Saudi Arabia if its leaders requested assistance.
“I’m not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone,” he said. “We are speaking only about defence.”
The proposed move signals growing regional concern over the conflict and the potential for further escalation beyond Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
[…] Saudi-Led Coalition Says Two Pilots Killed in Helicopter Crash Near Yemen Border […]