12 Saudi officers killed in helicopter crash in Yemen

The Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen says one of its helicopters has crashed in eastern Yemen, killing 12 Saudi officers.

The coalition says the crash took place in the eastern province of Marib on Tuesday and that it's investigating the circumstances. It happened as U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to discuss Yemen with Saudi leaders.

The coalition of mostly Arab Sunni countries has waged a campaign to dislodge Yemeni Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital in 2014 and forced the internationally-recognized government to flee the country.

The two-year war has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 civilians and led to the displacement of 3 million Yemenis.

The Saudis have also lost dozens of soldiers in cross-border attacks from Yemen.