The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Saudi helicopter crash near Yemen border kills 2; Houthis claim Apache takedown
Two crew members died after a Saudi AH-6i helicopter crashed in the Najran region near the Yemen border due to a technical malfunction, the Saudi-led coalition said Sunday. The Houthis had claimed a day earlier that they shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter in the area, leaving it unclear whether both accounts concerned the same aircraft.
Two crew members were killed after a Saudi AH-6i helicopter crashed in the Najran region near the Yemen border, according to the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition said the crash was caused by a technical malfunction and confirmed the fatalities.
Yemen’s Houthi group claimed that it had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter in the same general area, with the claim noting hostile activities along the border. The timing of the Houthi statement indicated the event occurred a day earlier.
The coalition spokesperson stated the AH-6i crash occurred in an area under the jurisdiction of Saudi Arabia’s National Guard Ministry. No further details about the helicopter’s mission or the exact location were provided.
Both sides issued statements that left unclear whether they were referring to the same aircraft, and Reuters reported that the conflicting accounts did not establish that connection. No independent verification of the Houthi claim was provided in the material.