Four Killed, 11 Injured as Italian Helicopter on EU Mission Crashes in Bosnia

Four people have been killed and 11 others injured after an Italian military helicopter serving with the European Union’s peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina crashed in the country’s north, according to reports citing hospital officials.

The CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down on Thursday, October 29, near the village of Gorice in the Brčko area, approximately 180 kilometres northeast of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital.

The aircraft was operating as part of EUFOR Althea, the European Union-led military mission tasked with helping maintain a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Italian Defence Ministry confirmed that the helicopter crashed during the afternoon while participating in the mission. In a statement, the ministry said rescue teams had responded promptly but that further information could not immediately be released while authorities awaited more precise details, particularly about the condition of personnel on board.

EUFOR also confirmed that one of its aircraft had crashed during a routine mission in the Brčko region. The force said personnel had died and others had sustained serious injuries, adding that an investigation was under way.

A spokesperson for Brčko hospital said 15 people were involved in the incident. Three people initially died, while 12 were taken for medical treatment. A fourth person subsequently died in hospital, bringing the reported death toll to four and leaving 11 injured.

The cause of the crash has not been established, and authorities have yet to release full details about the circumstances surrounding the accident or the identities of those affected.

EUFOR said the incident did not damage civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles and reported no civilian injuries. The mission also urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information and to rely on official announcements as investigations continue.

EUFOR Althea has operated in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2004, succeeding NATO’s peacekeeping force and supporting implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the country’s 1992–1995 war.

The investigation is expected to establish what led to the helicopter’s crash and whether any technical or operational factors contributed to the accident.