Newsletters
A Saudi National Guard reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the southern Najran region, killing two officers, the Saudi-led coalition announced Sunday, after Yemen's Houthi group claimed to have shot down a Saudi military aircraft in the same area.
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki attributed the crash to a technical malfunction, confirming that the AH-6i helicopter went down inside Saudi territory.
The Houthis had earlier claimed that their forces shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran while targeting Houthi positions along the border.
The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement that Houthi forces brought down the aircraft during "hostile operations" against their positions.
In an apparent response to Saree's claim, al-Maliki posted images of Apache helicopters on X alongside a taunting message: "She claims to drop it. She will enter the field soon. Remember her shape; do not forget."
The coalition also announced early Sunday that it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Shortly before the announcement, Saudi Civil Defense issued "potential danger" alerts in Riyadh and the southwestern cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait through the country's national early warning system. The agency later announced that the danger had passed.
On Saturday, al-Maliki reported that coalition forces had intercepted and destroyed four drones over several hours in the Riyadh region, the Eastern Province and southern Saudi Arabia.
The coalition also released footage that it said showed airstrikes destroying two ballistic missile launchers in Saada, northern Yemen, after they had been used to fire missiles toward Saudi Arabia.
Yemen's conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several other provinces. Saudi Arabia led a military coalition into the conflict in March 2015 to support Yemen's internationally recognized government.
A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted cross-border attacks. Still, the arrangement collapsed in July 2026 after renewed disputes over flights between Houthi-controlled Sanaa and Iran triggered a fresh round of strikes.
The renewed hostilities brought further Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian aviation facilities and energy infrastructure, while the coalition continued to intercept missiles and drones launched toward the kingdom.
The escalation also extended to the Red Sea, where the Houthis threatened Saudi-linked shipping and announced a naval blockade in July.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
