Two members of the United Arab Emirates armed forces were killed on Monday after a military helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction, the defence ministry confirmed.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the ministry said the helicopter went down following a technical fault, resulting in the deaths of two personnel.

The ministry expressed condolences to the families of the victims, describing them as martyrs who lost their lives in service.

The crash occurred at a time when the UAE is facing ongoing waves of missile and drone attacks from Iran amid escalating regional tensions.

Officials said that since the start of the Iranian attacks, the country’s air defence forces have intercepted and destroyed 233 ballistic missiles and 1,359 drones, while also shooting down eight cruise missiles.

Authorities did not immediately release further details about the helicopter involved or the exact location of the crash.