Two crew members were killed after a Saudi AH-6I reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the Najran region near the Yemen border, according to the Saudi-led coalition, which said the aircraft went down following a technical malfunction.

The helicopter belonged to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of National Guard and crashed inside Saudi territory in an area under the ministry's jurisdiction. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki confirmed that both officers on board were killed in the accident.

The incident occurred a day after Yemen's Houthi movement claimed it had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran while it was allegedly conducting hostile operations against Houthi positions along the border.

It remains unclear whether the Houthi claim and the coalition's announcement refer to the same aircraft. The coalition identified the crashed aircraft as an AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter rather than an Apache attack helicopter.

In response to the Houthi claim, Al-Maliki published an image showing several Apache helicopters and suggested that the aircraft type cited by the Houthis remained operational, further casting doubt on the group's assertion.

The crash comes amid a sharp escalation in hostilities along Saudi Arabia's southern frontier. Najran has been subjected to repeated attacks in recent weeks as fighting between Saudi-led forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement has intensified.

Saudi authorities reported intercepting multiple waves of drones over Riyadh and destroying ballistic and cruise missiles aimed at locations including Yanbu and Khamis Mushait.

The renewed attacks follow strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport earlier in October, which reportedly caused fatalities and injuries. Airports in Abha, Jazan, Najran and Dammam, as well as facilities linked to Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, have also faced attacks during the latest escalation.

The security situation has disrupted normal activity in the Saudi capital, prompting an extension of remote learning in schools and continued caution across parts of the city's business district.

Regional partners have expressed support for the kingdom. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged lawmakers to approve measures that would enable Egypt to assist Saudi Arabia's security if requested, stressing that any involvement would be defensive in nature.

The wider conflict is also affecting global energy markets. Houthi attacks targeting vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime route for oil shipments, have heightened concerns over supply disruptions and contributed to higher crude prices.

The helicopter crash is the latest reminder of the growing risks associated with the conflict, as uncertainty persists over whether the aircraft was lost to mechanical failure, as Saudi officials maintain, or as a result of hostile action, as claimed by the Houthis.

Agencies