At least six people have been confirmed dead and one person declared missing after a military helicopter crashed into Qatar’s territorial waters during a routine operation on Sunday.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the incident, stating that the helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction and was not linked to any hostile action despite rising tensions across the Middle East.
According to authorities, the aircraft had seven occupants on board, including Qatari and Turkish military personnel as well as civilian collaborators.
Rescue teams were immediately deployed to the crash site, while search operations continue for the missing occupant.
The Ministry of Interior said specialised rescue teams were combing the waters to locate the last missing person.
Officials later identified the victims as Captain Mubarak Al-Marri, Sergeant Fahad Al-Khayarin, and Corporal Mohammed Mohammed of the Qatar Armed Forces.
Also killed were Major Sinan Tastekin from the Qatar-Turkey Joint Forces and two Turkish civilian collaborators linked to a defence company.
The Turkish Ministry of Defence also confirmed the incident, noting that one Turkish soldier and two personnel connected to defence firm Aselsan were among those who died in the crash.
Authorities said the helicopter went down during a training flight due to a technical issue, adding that investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the crash.
The incident comes at a sensitive time in the Middle East, with rising regional tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, raising concerns about broader regional instability.
Qatari authorities expressed condolences to the families of the victims and assured that further details would be released after investigations are completed.
