Saudi prince killed in helicopter crash near Yemen border

Saudi Prince Mansour bin Muqrin, has been killed when the helicopter he was travelling in crashed near the Yemen border, state television reported.

The prince was killed “while performing an inspection in remote parts of the governorate,” a spokeswoman for the Saudi embassy in Washington said.

The cause of the crash is still unknown.

Saudi officials said it intercepted a missile near Riyadh’s airport on Saturday that was fired from war-torn Yemen. The coalition blamed the launch on Iran and warned it would be “considered as an act of war.”

The deputy governor of Asir province, was travelling with several officials when the helicopter crashed, Al-Ikhbariya news channel said. Seven other people died in the crash

Prince Mansour was the son of Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz, a former intelligence director and a one-time crown prince of the kingdom. He was pushed aside by his half-brother King Salman a few months after he took the throne in 2015.

The day before the helicopter crash, an anti-corruption led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, ordered the arrest of dozens of people, including 11 princes and four ministers. No connection has been drawn between the events.

Bin Salman's actions have been interpreted as an attempt to eliminate any trace of dissent within the ranks before the formal transfer of power from his 81-year-old father, King Salman.

Those detained include Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire investor who owns major stakes in companies like Twitter and Citigroup.