DOHA, March 22 — Three Turkish nationals including a serviceman were on board a helicopter that crashed in Qatar’s territorial waters, alongside three Qatari servicemen, the Gulf country’s defence ministry said on Sunday.

The Turkish defence ministry meanwhile said that “a Qatari armed forces helicopter, which was carrying out a training exercise as part of the Qatar-Turkey Joint Forces Command, crashed into the sea”.

“A member of the Turkish armed forces and two Aselsan technicians” were killed in the crash, the ministry said, referring to the Turkish defence giant.

Five passengers and a pilot were killed, Qatari authorities said, while a second pilot has been reported missing.

The Qatari defence ministry had earlier said that the helicopter crashed due to a “technical malfunction” during a routine flight. — AFP