In brief
On March 22, 2026, a military helicopter crash occurred in Qatar due to a technical malfunction, leading to the deaths of four Qatari military personnel, one Turkish serviceman, and two technicians from a Turkish defense company. The incident happened during a routine training exercise, and an investigation into the cause is underway.
A military helicopter has crashed in Qatar, killing all seven people on board, authorities in the Gulf state say.
They say all the bodies were found after the helicopter went down due to a technical malfunction in Qatar's territorial waters on Sunday.
Four Qatari military personnel, one Turkish serviceman and two technicians from a Turkish defence company were on board, Qatar and Turkey say.
The cause of the crash that happened during a training exercise is now being investigated.
Turkey has a military base in Qatar under a defence agreement signed between the two countries in 2014.
In a statement, Qatar's interior ministry said that all seven people on board had been found dead.
It expressed its deepest condolences to the victims' families.
Turkey's defence ministry said the Qatari military helicopter had been carrying out a training exercise as part of the Qatar-Turkey Joint Forces Command.
The two technicians were from the Aselsan defence corporation, the ministry said, adding that the exact cause of the crash would be determined by Qatari authorities.
The crash comes as the US and Israel continue their wide-ranging strikes against Iran, while Tehran retaliates with its own attacks against Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.
