The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Sunday that a Saudi AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the Najran region of southern Saudi Arabia due to a technical malfunction, killing two officers aboard.

Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said in an official statement that the helicopter, operated by the Saudi Ministry of National Guard, crashed inside Saudi territory in Najran, confirming the deaths of both officers on board.

The statement did not provide further details about the nature of the technical malfunction or the exact time of the crash.

The coalition's announcement came hours after Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed on Saturday evening that the group's air defenses had shot down a Saudi AH-64 Apache attack helicopter near Najran.

In a direct challenge to the Houthi claim, coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki posted an image of Saudi AH-64 Apache attack helicopters on X, alongside a screenshot of Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree’s announcement. Al-Maliki indicated that the helicopters would soon enter the battlefield, adding, “Remember what they look like.” The post appeared to challenge the Houthis’ claim of shooting down an Apache while signaling the potential deployment of the helicopters in upcoming military operations. He did not explicitly link his remarks to the AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crash in Najran.

The Houthi claim differs from the coalition's account regarding both the helicopter model and the cause of the crash. No independently verified information has established whether the two statements refer to the same incident or to separate incidents.