Six killed as Qatar army helicopter crashes due to ‘technical malfunction’

Qatar says six confirmed dead after military helicopter crash blamed on malfunction

At least six people on board a Qatari military helicopter have been killed in a crash in the Gulf state’s waters after a “technical malfunction”, the government said.

Seven people were on board, with Qatar’s interior ministry on Sunday saying specialised operations continue ‌to find the last missing person.

The ministry did not provide further details on the cause of the crash or the identities of those on board.

Earlier on Sunday, Qatar’s defence ministry posted on X that the helicopter had a technical malfunction during a “routine duty”, which led to its crash in the territorial waters of the country.

No immediate information was available on the cause beyond the technical malfunction, and there was no indication that the crash was the result of hostile action.

The incident occurred amid heightened regional tensions. Qatar has faced repeated drone and missile strikes since the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28.