Doha says 4 Qataris, 3 Turks killed in helicopter crash, cites ‘malfunction’

Qatar on Sunday confirmed four of its military personnel and three Turkish nationals, including one serviceman, were killed on board a helicopter that crashed in Qatar’s territorial waters.

The Gulf state’s interior ministry said in a statement that rescue operations had been completed and a final seventh individual was confirmed dead.

“All those who were on board have been found, numbering seven, and their martyrdom has been confirmed,” it said.

Earlier, Qatar’s defense ministry named the victims of the crash as Captain Mubarak Salem Daway al-Marri, Sergeant Fahad Hadi Ghanem al-Khayarin, Corporal Mohammed Maher Mohammed and Captain Saeed Nasser Sameekh from the Qatari armed forces.

The defense ministry also identified Major Sinan Tastekin from the Qatar-Turkey Joint Forces and two Turkish civilians, Suleiman Cemra Kahraman and Ismail Anas, as having been killed in the crash.

They are the first recorded fatalities from both countries since the US and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28 and the Islamic Republic launched a retaliatory air campaign against its Gulf neighbors.

The Turkish defense ministry said: “A Qatari armed forces helicopter, which was carrying out a training exercise as part of the Qatar-Turkey Joint Forces Command, crashed into the sea.”

“A member of the Turkish armed forces and two Aselsan technicians” were killed in the crash, the ministry said, referring to the Turkish defense giant.

The Qatari defense ministry had earlier said that the helicopter crashed due to a “technical malfunction” during a routine flight.