Italian EU peacekeeping helicopter crashes near Brčko in Bosnia, killing three
An Italian military helicopter taking part in a European Union peacekeeping operation has crashed near the town of Brčko in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aircraft went down on Thursday afternoon in Gorice, about 180 kilometres northeast of Sarajevo, according to officials. Authorities said the crash involved an EUFOR CH-47 Chinook helicopter and left people dead and injured.
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EUFOR said a number of its personnel had been killed and others seriously injured, while Bosnia's Defence Ministry said it could not provide further details until more precise information was available. The mayor of Brčko, Siniša Milić, said three people had died and twelve had been injured. He added that all of the injured had been treated in a hospital in Brčko and that medical staff were on alert.
The crash is a significant incident because it involves a military aircraft operating as part of an international peacekeeping mission. EUFOR is the European Union's military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it supports stability and security. A crash with fatalities and injuries among deployed personnel is likely to prompt a formal investigation into both the cause of the accident and the condition of those on board.
Officials have urged the public not to spread unverified information and to rely only on official channels. Bosnia's Defence Ministry said it was waiting for more precise information, especially on the health of the personnel involved. EUFOR also said details would be released once the necessary checks had been completed and the findings of the investigation published.
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The incident comes against the backdrop of EUFOR's continuing role in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where international forces remain present to help maintain a secure environment. The helicopter was identified as a CH-47 Chinook, a heavy transport aircraft used by military forces for a range of missions. The location near Brčko places the crash in a strategically sensitive part of northern Bosnia, adding to the importance of the inquiry.
What remains unclear is the cause of the crash and the identities of those on board. It is also not yet clear how many people were travelling in the helicopter at the time of the accident, beyond the confirmed reports of deaths and injuries. Further official updates are expected once investigators complete their checks and authorities release verified findings.
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