media reports say a helicopter carrying Saudi Arabian government officials crashed in the southwestern Asir region of the country on November 5.
Al Arabiya reported that Prince Mansour bin Muqrin - Deputy Governor of the Asir region and a number of senior government officials died in the accident. Sources said that among the 8 people on the helicopter were the Deputy Minister and Minister of the Asir region. No one on the plane is believed to have survived the crash.
The accident occurred as officials were returning from a patrol trip to the al-Saida al-Sawalha center in the city of Mahail Asir. The search for the helicopters is currently underway. According to SaudiNews50, the bodies of the officials who died in the plane crash have been found.
Prince Mansour bin Muqrin is the son of Prince Muqrin al-Saud, who was the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from January to April 2015. The late prince was also a member of the House of Representatives of Saudi Arabia and a court advisor to the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince.
Saudi Arabia's Asir region borders Yemen, which has been in civil war since 2013, in the south. In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition sent Persian Gulf countries to conduct airstrikes against the Houthi movement at the request of the government recognized by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
According to Press TV, the accident occurred while Saudi Arabia was intensifying activities against the Houthi movement in Yemen. The accident came just a day after the kingdom arrested dozens of princes, ministers and former ministers under the order of the Saudi Arabian Anti-Corruption Commission led by Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
