Saudi Officers Killed in Crash as Houthi Attacks Escalate

A Saudi AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in Saudi Arabia’s Najran region on Sunday, October 18, killing both crew members, who were officers. Major General Turki Al-Maliki, official spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said a technical malfunction caused the crash. The coalition offered no further details about what happened to the aircraft.

The crash came as Saudi Arabia faced renewed attacks from Yemen’s Houthi militia. Najran lies in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border and has repeatedly faced attacks; in recent weeks, the area came under fire as fighting between the coalition and the Yemen-based group escalated.

Crash and competing claims

The helicopter belonged to the Ministry of National Guard and crashed in an area under the jurisdiction of the Saudi National Guard Ministry. Al-Maliki offered condolences to the officers’ families and prayed that they receive mercy and patience. He said a technical malfunction brought the aircraft down inside Saudi territory.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree made a separate claim on Saturday. In a post on X, he said the group had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran as it carried out what he called hostile activity targeting Houthi positions along the border.

On Sunday, Al-Maliki responded with a photograph of several Apache helicopters. “You claim to have shot it down, but it will enter the battlefield soon,” he said. Gulf News published a version of his response that read: “She will enter the field soon. Remember what she looks like, so you do not forget.” The coalition identified the crashed aircraft as an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter, while the Houthi spokesman’s claim concerned an Apache helicopter.

Missile and drone threats

On Sunday, coalition air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Khamis Mushayt and a drone targeting the Riyadh region, Arab News reported, citing Al-Maliki. Residents in Riyadh and Khamis Mushayt received mobile phone alerts from the General Directorate of Civil Defense warning of a “hostile aerial threat.” The alerts told residents to stay indoors and away from windows. Officials lifted them a few minutes later.

On Saturday, the coalition said it intercepted and destroyed four drones over Riyadh, the Eastern Province and southern regions. It also said it destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in Yemen’s Saada governorate. The reports described a broader escalation in hostilities after Yemen’s conflict reignited in July, following years of relative calm.

Attacks on Saudi targets

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on airports, energy facilities, transportation infrastructure and other strategic sites. Arab News reported that a previous attack on Riyadh airport killed 13 people.

Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have continued to target Houthi military positions and infrastructure in Yemen. The stated aim is to curb attacks on the kingdom, government-controlled areas of Yemen and international shipping routes. The coalition has not provided further details about the Najran crash, and the Houthi spokesman’s claim concerned an aircraft type different from the AH-6i identified by the coalition.