The Saudi-led military coalition on Sunday said two pilots were killed after a reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the Najran region near the border with Yemen due to a technical malfunction, according to coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki.
The incident comes as the Kingdom has been subjected to repeated missile and drone attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis for about two weeks, amid escalating clashes following the collapse of the ceasefire in Yemen that had been in place since 2022.
Early Sunday morning, Saudi authorities issued warnings via mobile phones to residents of Riyadh about a “hostile aerial threat,” before lifting the alerts minutes later.
Civil Defense also announced similar alerts in Abha and Khamis Mushait. On Saturday, the coalition announced the interception and destruction of four drones in Riyadh, Eastern Province, and southern regions of the Kingdom, while the Houthis reported that Saudi Arabia had carried out dozens of airstrikes on Sana’a and other provinces.
In parallel with the escalation, Egypt announced its readiness to take defensive measures to protect Saudi Arabia if requested by its leadership. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt was not looking to intervene in regional wars, but added that it was “inconceivable” for Cairo to stand by while the kingdom was “harmed or its security and stability threatened”. “I’m not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone,” he said. “We are speaking only about defense.”
The Egyptian parliament is holding an emergency session to consider authorizing potential assistance, while Egypt’s role in the coalition supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government has thus far been limited to securing the Red Sea.
Politically, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of encouraging the Houthi escalation, an accusation Tehran denies. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi affirmed his country’s support for a political solution between Riyadh and the Houthis and offered to mediate between the two sides. However, the foreign minister of the internationally recognized Yemeni government rejected the initiative, considering Tehran a party to the war, not a mediator.
On the ground, Yemeni government forces announced a counter-offensive, backed by Saudi air power, to retake areas seized by the Houthis, but have not yet achieved their objectives.
These developments coincided with Saudi Arabia extending distance learning in Riyadh and Diriyah, amid ongoing security concerns following the attack on Riyadh airport on October 10, which killed 13 people and injured approximately 300 others. (AFP)
