EU force helicopter crash in Bosnia leaves four crew members dead

A routine flight for the European Union’s EUFOR mission ended in tragedy in northern Bosnia when an Italian military helicopter went down, killing four crew members and leaving 11 others injured, according to hospital officials.

EUFOR said the Chinook CH-47 crashed while carrying out a “routine mission” in the Brčko region, roughly 180km north of Sarajevo.

“As a result of this crash, a number of EUFOR personnel tragically lost their lives and others were seriously injured,” the force said in a statement.

Brčko hospital spokesperson Salih Ibrahimbegovic said there were 15 people on board. Three were killed at the crash site and another later died after being taken to hospital.

“12 people were brought to our hospital,” Ibrahimbegovic said.

“Unfortunately, a fourth person died from his injuries in hospital,” he added.

Photographs published by media showed the helicopter’s wreckage lying on flat, grassy ground at Gorica, near Brčko.

“EUFOR is conducting a full and thorough investigation of the incident and will release more information as it is verified, and when appropriate,” the mission statement said.

In an earlier update, EUFOR reported that “no civilian infrastructure, property, or vehicles were damaged, and there were no injuries to civilians”.

EUFOR has maintained a presence in Bosnia since 2004, when it replaced a NATO peacekeeping force deployed after the country’s 1992-95 war.

Today’s operation comprises several hundred troops drawn from 24 European states, according to the mission’s website.

The Irish Defence Forces website says that as of August 2026, six Irish personnel are deployed at the Headquarters of EUFOR Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and there are no reports linking them to the incident.