An AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter has crashed in Saudi Arabia, killing two crew members. Yemen’s Houthis said they shot the helicopter down with a missile, while Saudi Arabia says it was a technical malfunction.
According to Saudi coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki, the helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction in an area under the jurisdiction of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of National Guard. Two crew members were killed.
Later, Yemen’s Houthis published a video which they said showed a Saudi AH-6i being hit by a missile while carrying out a mission near Najran. However, the incident itself is not clearly visible in the footage, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the Houthis’ claim. Saudi authorities did not comment on it.
On 17 October, the Houthis’ military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on the social network X that the group had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran. It is currently unclear whether this refers to the same incident.
In response, al-Maliki posted a photograph of several Apache helicopters and wrote: "You claim you shot it down, but it will soon return to the battlefield".
As Reuters notes, the south-western part of the Najran region has come under attack in recent weeks from Iran-backed Houthis.
- Saudi Arabia is preparing an offensive operation against the Houthis. Possible options include an advance along the coast to secure shipping in the Red Sea, or a broader attack simultaneously on several fronts.