&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Qatar military helicopter crashes after ‘technical malfunction’; search for crew, passengers underway")
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence on Sunday said that a military helicopter had crashed in the regional waters of the Gulf state. The statement added that a search was underway to locate the crew members and passengers. The crash comes amid the rising hostilities in West Asia after US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
In a statement on X, the ministry said, “The Ministry of Defense of State of Qatar announces that a Qatari helicopter had technical malfunction during a routine duty, which led to its crash in the regional waters of the State, Searching operation for its crew members and passengers is in progress.”
Qatar’s interior ministry said that several specialised teams have been deployed in the operation. The authorities did not reveal where the helicopter was flying or how many people were on board.
Qatar has been targeted repeatedly by Iran since the war broke out in the region. However, the government did not link the crash to the ongoing conflict.
The conflict in West Asia entered its 23rd day on March 22. Hostilities began on February 28 when the US and Israeli military launched strikes on Iran, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and several other top Iranian officials. The operation was named ‘Epic Fury’ by the US and ‘Lion’s Roar’ by Israel. The attacks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and ongoing talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Azerbaijan. Iran has ruled out any possibility of a ceasefire, while US President Donald Trump has claimed victory multiple times, suggesting that the objective is nearly met. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its operations in Lebanon, targeting Iran’s ally Hezbollah and has ruled out diplomacy with the Lebanese government.
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Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
