A helicopter crashed in Qatar due to a "technical failure". Authorities are searching for survivors.

A helicopter from Qatar crashed into the territorial waters of the country due to a 'technical malfunction' during a routine mission, according to the Ministry of Defense in Doha.

The ministry announced that search operations for the crew members and passengers are underway, but did not provide details about the nature of the mission or the number of people on board. There is also no evidence to suggest a link between this accident and the war in the Middle East, although Qatar has been the target of several recent airstrikes, particularly on energy infrastructures.

In a similar incident, two soldiers from the United Arab Emirates were killed on March 9 following the crash of their helicopter due to a technical malfunction.