Four individuals serving with the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR) lost their lives when an Italian military helicopter crashed during a training mission in the country’s north.
The incident occurred on Thursday in the Brcko region, approximately 180 kilometers, or 110 miles, north of the capital city of Sarajevo. According to official EUFOR statements, the aircraft involved was a CH-47 Chinook carrying personnel on a routine training operation.
In addition to the four fatalities, 11 other people sustained injuries in the crash. EUFOR reported that all of the injured individuals are currently receiving medical treatment and remain in stable condition.
The Italian government confirmed that all occupants aboard the military aircraft were Italian nationals. The Italian defence ministry specified that the victims included two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto expressed his sorrow in a public statement, saying, “At this moment of immense grief, my thoughts go first and foremost to the families of our fallen, to whom I extend my personal condolences and those of the entire defence establishment.”
Local reporting and hospital officials provided additional details regarding the immediate aftermath. Bosnian media outlets circulated photographs of the wreckage showing the overturned aircraft resting in a flat field. A spokesperson for the Brcko hospital stated that 15 people were initially on board at the time of the accident, which resulted in three deaths at the scene. Twelve survivors were subsequently transported to the local medical facility, where a fourth person later succumbed to injuries.
EUFOR announced that a comprehensive investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. The peacekeeping force stated it would release additional details as information is verified and deemed appropriate.
EUFOR maintains a deployment of between 1,000 and 1,500 personnel in Bosnia, a mission established in 2004 to succeed the previous NATO peacekeeping force that entered the country following the conclusion of the Bosnian War in 1995. The current mandate involves overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which brought an end to the three-year conflict.
