QATAR – A Qatari military helicopter crash in the country’s territorial waters killed at least 6 people, with the seventh missing, according to authorities on Sunday.

A statement by Interior Ministry said that ongoing search and rescue operations led to the recovery of six individuals who had been aboard the aircraft, confirming their deaths.

Authorities said specialized teams are continuing intensive efforts to locate the remaining missing person.

The ministry did not provide further details on the cause of the crash or the identities of those on board.

Earlier Sunday, Qatar’s Defense Ministry said a helicopter suffered a “technical malfunction” during a routine mission and crashed in the country’s regional waters.

No immediate information was available on the cause beyond the technical malfunction, and there was no indication that the crash was the result of hostile action.

The incident occurred amid heightened regional tensions. Qatar has faced repeated Iranian drone and missile strikes since the start of US-Israeli joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, with the country’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, one of the world’s largest LNG production hubs, struck multiple times.