UAE expresses solidarity with Qatar, Turkiye over helicopter crash that killed seven

Abu Dhabi [UAE], March 22 : The United Arab Emirates on Sunday expressed solidarity with Qatar and Turkiye following the death of seven people in a helicopter crash in Qatar's territorial waters.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its sincere condolences over the tragic incident, which occurred due to a technical malfunction during a routine mission.
"The United Arab Emirates has expressed its solidarity and sincere condolences with the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye over the martyrdom of seven people following the crash of a helicopter in Qatar's territorial waters, as a result of a technical malfunction during a routine mission," the statement said.
The ministry extended its sympathies to the families of the victims, including personnel from the Qatari Armed Forces and members of the joint Qatari-Turkish forces.
It also expressed condolences to the governments and people of both Qatar and Turkiye over the loss.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) conveyed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the martyrs from the Qatari Armed Forces and the joint Qatari-Turkish forces, as well as to the government and people of Qatar, and the government and people of Turkiye, over this tragic loss," the statement added.
Earlier, all seven individuals onboard the Qatari Armed Forces helicopter that crashed during a training mission earlier today have been confirmed dead, including one Turkish soldier and two personnel from Turkish defence company Aselsan.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish Ministyr of Defence, search and rescue operations were launched immediately after the crash, leading to the recovery of the wreckage and the bodies of those onboard.
The ministry confirmed that the victims included four personnel from the Qatari Armed Forces, one member of the Turkish Armed Forces, and two technicians from Aselsan, adding that the exact cause of the accident would be determined following a detailed investigation by Qatari authorities.
"Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, and the wreckage of the helicopter and the bodies of our martyrs were recovered. Four Qatari Armed Forces personnel, one Turkish Armed Forces personnel, and two ASELSAN technicians on board the helicopter were martyred in the accident. The exact cause of the accident will be determined by the Qatari authorities following an investigation," the Turkish Defence Ministry stated.
The incident occurred at dawn on Sunday, when the helicopter, operating under the Qatar-Turkey Joint Combined Force Command, went down in regional waters. Initial findings suggest that the crash was caused by a technical malfunction.
Separately, Qatar's Ministry of Defence identified the deceased as Captain (Pilot) Mubarak Salem Daway Al-Marri, Sergeant Fahad Hadi Ghanem Al-Khayarin, Corporal Mohammed Maher Mohammed and Captain (Pilot) Saeed Nasser Samekh from the Qatari Armed Forces and Major Sinan Tastekin of the Qatar-Turkey Joint Forces.
The other two were identified as Suleiman Cemra Kahraman and Ismail Anas Can.
Qatar's Ministry of Defence extended condolences to the families of the victims, praying for mercy and peace for the deceased.
Turkey's defence ministry also conveyed its sympathies to the families, the Turkish Armed Forces, the Qatari Armed Forces, and the people of both nations.
Meanwhile, the UAE's Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems intercepted multiple Iranian aerial threats, including 25 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 4 ballistic missiles on Sunday, amid continuing West Asia Conflict.
In a post on X, the ministry said, "The UAE air defence systems on 22nd March 2026 engaged four ballistic missiles and 25 UAVs launched from Iran."
The ministry also stated that the cumulative figures of attacks since the "onset of the blatant Iranian aggression" amounted to 1,773 UAVs, 15 cruise missiles, and 345 ballistic missiles that have been recorded to be intercepted since the start of the escalation.
"Since the onset of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 345 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,773 UAVs," the statement read.
According to the Ministry of Defence, these attacks resulted in the death of two members of the armed forces as well as six fatalities of Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi and Palestinian nationalities.
"A total of 160 people were also injured, with injuries ranging from minor to moderate and severe. The injured included nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Turkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia, Sweden and Tunisia," the statement added.