Six people died on Saturday when a Qatari military helicopter crashed in Qatari territorial waters, according to the country’s Ministry of Defense. The crash was attributed to a technical malfunction. A search continues for one remaining individual, Al-Jazeera reported.
The Ministry of Defense stated the incident occurred on Saturday, but did not disclose the nationalities of those on board or whether they were civilians or military personnel. Reuters reported the helicopter was conducting a routine flight.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, following the start of a conflict on February 28th initiated by air strikes from Israel and the United States against Iran. Tehran has since launched retaliatory strikes targeting both American and Israeli civilian and military sites in the region. It has also imposed restrictions on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments.
On Wednesday, Israel reportedly attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field, prompting Iran to respond with strikes on oil and gas facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Qatar is a major global producer of natural gas and plays a key role in the worldwide supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). As a result of the conflict, Qatar has completely halted LNG production, leading to a 20 percent disruption in global supplies of the commodity.
