6 killed in Qatar after military chopper crashes due to technical glitch

The accident came amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran attacking US bases and other key installations across the kingdom several times since the Israeli-US airstrikes on February 28. 

Six people were killed in a helicopter crash in Qatar's territorial waters while operations continue to find the last missing person, the country's interior ministry said on Sunday. The defence ministry earlier said the helicopter had crashed after suffering a technical malfunction during 'routine duty'.

The Qatari government did not provide further details about the cause of the crash or the identities of those who were on board.

Preliminary information suggested that a technical malfunction could have led to the accident. There was no indication that the crash was the result of hostile action amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The accident came amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran attacking US bases and other key installations across the kingdom several times since the Israeli-US airstrikes on February 28.

In fact, within a day of the Israeli-US airstrikes, Iran retaliated by launching 44 missiles and eight drones towards Qatar, according to news agency Reuters. An early-warning radar located in the north of Qatar was damaged in the Iranian attack on March 1, reported Reuters.

More recently, after Israel struck the South Pars gasfield, which Iran shares with Qatar, Tehran retaliated by firing drones and missiles at gas facilities in Qatar as well as in other Gulf countries.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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