Italian military helicopter crashes in Bosnia, four dead and 12 injured per mayor

The crash

An Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter taking part in the EUFOR Althea mission went down on Thursday, 29 October, in the Brčko area of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. EUFOR said the aircraft crashed during a routine operation near the town of Gorica, in the Brčko district close to the Serbian border. The Italian Ministry of Defence said the causes are still under investigation and that rescue teams responded promptly. Photographs from the scene showed a largely destroyed helicopter lying on a lawn. EUFOR also said that no civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles were damaged and that no civilians were hurt.

Casualty figures

Early reports, citing officials and local media, put the toll at three dead and 12 injured. Brčko district mayor Siniša Milić later told ANSA that four people had died and 12 had been injured, and that some of the injured were in critical condition. The injured were treated at a local hospital, and some of them are being moved to other medical facilities in the area. On the condition of the personnel, the Ministry of Defence said:

“It is not possible to provide further details, pending more precise information, particularly regarding the health status of the personnel involved.”

EUFOR's own statement said several of its personnel had died and others were seriously injured, without giving a number. ANSA reported that no soldiers from the Sassari brigade were involved in the crash. The mayor did not state the nationality of the dead.

Early reports3

Mayor Milić, later update4

Early reports

3 people

Mayor Milić, later update

4 people

Data from the article text

Reactions and mission context

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas wrote on X that she was deeply saddened by the loss of life, and she sent condolences to Italian ministers Antonio Tajani and Guido Crosetto. She said Europe stands in full solidarity with Italy and that EU representatives remain in close contact with the EUFOR commander. Unofficial reports cited by ANSA said all three people on board had died, a figure the mayor's later count superseded. According to AP, EUFOR took over from NATO in 2004 and operates under a UN Security Council mandate to help maintain security and oversee the military provisions of the peace agreement that ended the 1992-95 war. AP put the force at 1,200 soldiers, while Europa Press gave about 1,100 personnel from some 24 countries. ANSA said the Italian contingent of about 150 troops, drawn from the 151st Infantry Regiment Sassari, deployed in June and is due back in Sardinia in January 2027.

Investigation and background

EUFOR said it is conducting a full and thorough investigation and will release more information once the facts are established. It urged the public to avoid unverified information and to follow updates only through official channels. Early figures came from local health sources and local media, and Milić said medical staff in Brčko remained on high alert. Adnkronos noted that the CH-47 has served with the Italian Army for more than fifty years, and that the CH-47F version adds digitised controls designed for brown-out and white-out conditions. The identities of those on board and the cause of the crash will be released once the authorities finish the necessary checks and publish their findings.