A Saudi prince has been killed in a helicopter crash near Yemen.

The crash occurred a day after a ballistic missile launch was shot at an airport in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The missile, which was intercepted and destroyed, is believed to have been fired by Houthi rebels, officials said.

Prince Mansour bin Muqrin, the son of the former Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and deputy governor of Saudi Arabia’s Asir Province, perished in the chopper crash.

The craft was carrying other government officials.

Saudi Arabia continues a widespread purge of the kingdom’s upper echelons, with dozens of princes, ministers and a billionaire tycoon arrested as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attempts to consolidate is power.

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