Saudi National Guard helicopter crashes near Najran killing both officers; coalition blames a malfunction, the Houthis claim a shootdown
Reportedon one origin only: 0 distinct origins, 0 tied to no party.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said a National Guard AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in Saudi territory near Najran because of a technical malfunction, killing its two officers, Khaleej Times and the Times of Israel reported. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group shot down a Saudi helicopter near Najran; Reuters could not verify the claim or say whether both sides referred to the same aircraft.
- When
- 18 October 2026
- Where
- Najran, Saudi Arabia (military events are placed no finer than town or district, except known fixed sites)
- What
- other · military
- Acting party
- Ansar Allah (the Houthis)
- Against
- Government of Saudi Arabia
- Attribution
- Attribution contested. The Houthis claimed a shootdown; the coalition said it was a malfunction.
- In the record
- Published 2026-10-27 21:03 UTC · revision 1 · backfilled
Sources
- Origin of the claim Khaleej Times
- Origin of the claim Times of Israel
History
| When | Field | From | To | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 21:03 UTC | status | null | reported | P1 backfilled: researched from cited sources and graded by the one rule |
Cite or reuse
The War Record, "Saudi National Guard helicopter crashes near Najran killing both officers; coalition blames a malfunction, the Houthis claim a shootdown", ev-20261027-9rcf, revision 1, https://thewarrecord.com/events/ev-20261027-9rcf/