Italian military helicopter on EU peacekeeping mission crashes in Bosnia

Published on 29 October 2026 - 18:48 GMT+1 An Italian helicopter taking part in the an EU peacekeeping operation has crashed near the town of Brčko in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The European Union's EUFOR military mission said that the CH-47 chinook helicopter crashed on Thursday afternoon and that "a number" of crew had been killed and others injured. The crash happened in the town of Gorice, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) northeast of Sarajevo. "As a result of this crash, a number of EUFOR personnel tragically lost their lives, and others were seriously injured," it added in a later statement. Bosnia's Defence Ministry reports that "it is not possible to issue further statements, while awaiting more precise information, above all about the state of health of the personnel". EUFOR has urged citizens not to spread unverified information and disinformation and to seek information on the incident exclusively through official channels. "Three people have died and twelve have been injured. All have been treated in a hospital in Brčko. Medical staff are on alert," said the mayor of Brčko, Siniša Milić. Further details on the identities of those on board the aircraft, as well as on the causes of the crash, will be made public once the authorities have completed the necessary checks and published the findings of the investigation.