DOHA: Qatar confirmed on Sunday that four of its military personnel and three Turkish nationals were killed when a helicopter crashed in the country’s territorial waters.
A ministry statement on X said “upon conclusion of search and rescue operations for the crew and personnel of the helicopter assigned for transport…it has been confirmed that Captain (pilot) Saeed Nasser Smeikh, a member of Qatar Armed Forces, has been martyred”.
تعلن وزارة الدفاع القطرية أنه بعد انتهاء عمليات البحث والإنقاذ عن طاقم وأفراد الطائرة المروحية المخصصة لنقل الأفراد التي سقطت فجر اليوم الأحد في المياه الإقليمية للدولة، فقد تأكد استشهاد النقيب (طيار) سعيد ناصر صميخ من منتسبي القوات المسلحة القطرية.
وتتقدم وزارة الدفاع بخالص… pic.twitter.com/9HjDjSt3Ng
— وزارة الدفاع – دولة قطر (@MOD_Qatar) March 22, 2026
The ministry had confirmed the martyrdom of Captain (Pilot) Mubarak Salem Daway Al Marri, Sergeant Fahd Hadi Ghanem Al Khayarin, and Corporal Mohammed Maher Mohammed of the Qatar Armed Forces, as well as Major (Air Defense) Sinan Tastekin, a member of the Qatar-Turkiye Joint Forces, along with civilian collaborators Suleiman Cemra Kahraman and Ismail Anas Can, both Turkish nationals.
The Qatar Ministry of Interior reported that the crash occurred during a routine operation. Earlier, the Qatar Ministry of Defence stated that the helicopter suffered a technical malfunction, which led to the fatal accident.
“A Qatari helicopter had a technical malfunction during a routine duty, which led to its crash in the regional waters of the state,” Qatar’s defence ministry said in a statement posted to X.
Officials said investigations into the exact cause of the malfunction have begun, and safety protocols for helicopter operations are being reviewed. Qatar has not specified where the helicopter was flying.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz has expressed condolences, wishing Allah’s mercy upon the Turkish Armed Forces member and ASELSAN technicians who lost their lives, and extending sympathies to their families, the Turkish Armed Forces, ASELSAN, and the “friendly and fraternal people of Qatar.”
While Qatar has been targeted by several missile and drone strikes linked to the wider Middle East war since US‑Israeli strikes on Iran began, authorities have said there is no evidence that the helicopter crash, attributed to a technical malfunction, was connected to the ongoing conflict.
Pakistan expresses grief
Pakistan on Sunday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic helicopter crash in Qatar that resulted in the loss of precious lives.
🔊PR No.7️⃣4️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Condolences from Pakistan on Tragic Helicopter Crash in Qatar pic.twitter.com/gkqqtZiBAQ
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) March 22, 2026
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Governments of Qatar and Turkey,” the foreign office spokesperson said in a statement.
He added that Pakistan stood in firm solidarity with both brotherly nations during this difficult time.
