A helicopter belonging to the Saudi-led coalition crashed near Yemen, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on the 18th local time.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki stated that a Saudi military AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in Najran, Saudi territory, due to a technical malfunction, resulting in the deaths of two officers on board.

Najran, located in southwestern Saudi Arabia, is close to the northern border of Yemen.

AFP reported that this accident marks the first death of a coalition service member since the conflict between the coalition and Yemen's pro-Iran Houthi rebels reignited last July.

Earlier this month, areas including King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh became the primary targets of Houthi ballistic missiles, leaving about a dozen civilians dead.

With major Saudi airports failing to operate normally, authorities are reportedly reviewing emergency measures, including shifting the Future Investment Initiative (FII)—a major Saudi convention scheduled for later this month—to an online format.

(Photo: Capture from Boeing website, Yonhap News)