Doha: A military helicopter crash off the coast of Qatar early Sunday morning has left six people dead, while search operations continue for one missing crew member, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 4 am during what officials described as a routine mission. According to the Qatari Ministry of Defense, the helicopter went down in the sea due to a suspected technical failure. No further details about the aircraft or the exact cause of the malfunction have been released so far.
Rescue and recovery efforts are being jointly led by the Maritime Search and Rescue Team of the General Directorate of Coast and Border Security and the International Search and Rescue Group of Lekhwiya, Qatar’s internal security force. Authorities confirmed that operations remain ongoing to locate the missing individual.
The Ministry of Defence identified the deceased as Captain (Pilot) Mubarak Salim Dawa Al Marri, Sergeant Fahad Hadi Ghanim Al Khayarin, Corporal Mohammed Maher Mohammed, and Major Sinan Tastakin of the Qatari-Turkish Joint Forces, along with two Turkish nationals, Suleiman Simra Kahraman and Ismail Anas Can.
Meanwhile, search teams continue efforts to find Captain Saeed Nasser Samakh of the Qatari Armed Forces, who remains unaccounted for.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Defense expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims, honoring them for their service.
Since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, Qatar has faced repeated retaliatory attacks. The Gulf nation has intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles amid escalating tensions. Earlier this week, Iranian strikes targeted Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar’s key natural gas hub, causing significant damage and raising concerns over energy security and stability in the region.