Overview
- The Ministry of Defence confirmed Captain Saeed Rashid Hamad Al Balushi and First Lieutenant Ali Saleh Ismail Al Tunaiji died on March 9 when their helicopter crashed during national duty due to a technical malfunction.
- Full military honors were held at Zayed Military Hospital, with funeral prayers in Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain; a pre-mission voice message from Al Tunaiji expressing acceptance of martyrdom was widely shared.
- Senior figures including Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt Gen Issa Saif Al Mazrouei, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed offered condolences to the families.
- Qatar’s prime minister conveyed condolences in a call to the UAE foreign minister, and Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia also sent messages of sympathy.
- The deaths occurred as officials report sustained Iranian strikes on UAE territory, totaling 238 ballistic missiles and 1,422 drones since Feb. 28, with most intercepted and four fatalities and 112 injuries reported.