BRCKO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — An Italian military helicopter taking part in a European Union peacekeeping operation crashed near the town of Brcko in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday afternoon, killing four people and injuring others, Euronews reported.
Source: Euronews
The aircraft, a CH-47 Chinook, came down in the village of Gorice, about 180 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of Sarajevo, at around 4 p.m. local time. EUFOR, the EU military mission in Bosnia, confirmed that one of its aircraft had crashed during a routine operation in the Brcko area and said a number of its personnel had lost their lives and others were seriously injured. EUFOR said no civilians were injured and no civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles were damaged, and it urged people to rely only on official channels for information.
Brcko mayor Sinisa Milic said three people had died and 12 had been injured and treated at hospital in Brcko. All of those who died and all of the injured are Italian citizens, Klix.ba reported. Sarajevo Times later reported that another injured person had died, bringing the death toll to four. Brcko Health Center director Jasmin Mehanovic said one injured person was in a life-threatening condition and would likely be transferred to the University Clinical Center in Tuzla, and the mayor said several of the injured were in critical condition.
Source: Sarajevo Times
Italy's Ministry of Defence said the CH-47, operating as part of Operation EUFOR Althea, had crashed this afternoon for reasons that are still being investigated, that emergency services had responded promptly, and that it was a serious accident, LaPresse reported. The ministry did not confirm the number of people involved and said it was awaiting more precise information, above all about the state of health of the personnel.
Eyewitnesses cited in local reports said the helicopter was flying at a low altitude before the crash and spun around several times in the air. The helicopter crashed in an uninhabited area not far from the first houses in Gorice, and firefighters were to remain on duty at the site through the night because of spilled jet fuel. EUFOR said a detailed investigation is under way to establish the circumstances and cause of the accident.
According to the Italian Ministry of Defence, an Italian Army Aviation detachment from the 4th Altair Regiment has been part of EUFOR since January 2026, operating AB-205 helicopters and medium-lift CH-47F transport helicopters. The detachment's helicopters are used for transport, personnel extraction and medical evacuation, with a medical team on duty around the clock. EUFOR Althea is the EU's long-running peacekeeping mission supporting stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.