Saudi Arabian National Guard MD500/AH-6i Crash

A Saudi Arabian National Guard AH-6i light attack and reconnaissance helicopter crashed inside Saudi territory in the Najran region, on the border with Yemen, killing both officers on board, the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition said in a statement on 18 October 2026 reported by Reuters and Arab News. The coalition attributed the crash to a technical malfunction and gave no further details. A Houthi military spokesman claimed that Houthi forces had shot down a Saudi "Apache" helicopter near Najran while it was attacking their positions along the border; the coalition rejected the claim, and neither account has been independently verified. The Najran region has been a repeated target of Houthi attacks.