Helicopter crashes in Saudi Arabia, killing two pilots — Dawn

An AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter of the National Guard crashed in Najran province in southern Saudi Arabia, near the border with Yemen. Two crew members were killed, Dawn reports.

Coalition's version

Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, said the helicopter crashed inside the kingdom due to a technical malfunction. According to him, two officers who were part of the crew were killed in the crash.

The coalition said these were the first military casualties since the conflict with the Houthis intensified again in July. Before that, an unstable four-year truce had been in place in Yemen.

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Houthi statement and attacks

At the same time, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said late on October 17 that the group had allegedly shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter in the same area. The coalition cited a technical malfunction as the cause of the crash.

The incident occurred a week after Houthi strikes on Riyadh International Airport, which, according to the report, killed 13 people. The coalition also reported intercepting two drones near the capital and another over Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, as well as two ballistic missiles launched toward Khamis Mushait.

For their part, the Houthis said on October 17 that Saudi strikes in Yemen had killed 12 people, including three children.