Four Italian Peacekeepers Killed in Helicopter Crash in Bosnia

Four Italian personnel were killed and 11 others injured when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during a routine training exercise in northern Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday. The incident occurred near the village of Gorice, close to the town of Brčko. According to the Italian Defense Ministry, the fatalities included two members of the Italian army and two members of the Italian Red Cross’s Volunteer Military Corps. All 15 individuals on board were Italian nationals.

EUFOR, the European Union peacekeeping force, confirmed that the 11 survivors are receiving medical treatment and are not in life-threatening condition. No civilians were harmed, and no local infrastructure was damaged in the crash. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and offered the government's support to those affected.

EUFOR has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the accident. The peacekeeping mission, known as Operation Althea, has been active in Bosnia-Herzegovina since 2004, operating under a United Nations mandate to maintain stability and oversee the provisions of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement.