A routine peacekeeping flight turned tragic in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina when an Italian military helicopter went down Thursday night, claiming four lives and injuring 11 others. The crash, involving a Chinook helicopter assigned to the European Union Force (EUFOR) peacekeeping operation, took place in the Gorice locality close to Brčko during scheduled training drills. Among the fallen service members were two personnel from the Italian Armed Forces and two from the Italian Military Red Cross.
Emergency medical crews from local Bosnian agencies alongside EUFOR's Liaison and Observation Team responded immediately to the crash site to extract the casualties. Nine of the injured survivors are receiving medical care at facilities in Brčko, while two others were evacuated to the Tuzla Medical Center. EUFOR officials confirmed that the condition of all 11 hospitalized survivors is currently stable, adding that no civilians were harmed and no civilian property, vehicles, or infrastructure sustained damage in the mishap.
In the wake of the tragedy, EUFOR issued an official statement advising the public to refrain from circulating unverified or misleading claims regarding the incident. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly expressed her profound condolences on social platform X, extending sympathy to the families of the victims and reaffirming Italy's solidarity with the personnel stationed abroad to uphold regional peace. Italian authorities have formally notified the families of the deceased and injured service members. As medical teams focus on the recovery of the injured, international forces remain committed to their stabilizing mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina while honoring the sacrifices of their fallen crew members.
