Saudi-led coalition says two pilots killed in helicopter crash near Yemen border

A Saudi helicopter crash near the Yemen border killed two pilots on Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition said. The AH-6i National Guard reconnaissance helicopter went down in the Najran area because of a technical malfunction.

These are the first military fatalities since hostilities with the Houthis resumed in July.

What caused the Saudi helicopter crash near the Yemen border?

The Saudi-led coalition attributed the crash to a technical malfunction. Spokesman Turki al-Malki said the national guard’s AH-6i helicopter was destroyed on Saudi territory in the Najran area, and both officers on board died, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

“An AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter belonging to the national guard crashed and was destroyed in Saudi territory in the Najran area as a result of a technical malfunction, resulting in the death of its crew of two officers,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

How has the Yemen conflict escalated since July?

The conflict reignited in July after a four-year, uneasy truce. It intensified last month when the Iran-backed Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast.

The Saudi-led coalition, which backs the internationally recognized government, has launched repeated air raids on Houthi territory. The Houthis have hit Saudi targets, including vessels in the Red Sea, oil facilities and Riyadh’s international airport. A single attack at the airport last week killed 13 people.