Four people were killed and a further 11 were injured when a transport helicopter belonging to EUFOR — the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina — crashed in the village of Gorice, near the town of Brčko. EUFOR announced this in a statement.
“As a result of the accident, EUFOR lost four personnel. A further 11 people were injured; their condition is now stable and they are receiving medical treatment. Civilian infrastructure, property and vehicles were not damaged, and there were no casualties amongst the civilian population,” EUFOR said.
Earlier, the mayor of Brčko, Sinisa Milic, told Radio Free Europe’s Balkan service: “We are looking after the injured at the Brčko District Medical Centre and are ready to transfer them to larger hospitals if necessary.” According to him, the helicopter that crashed belonged to the mission’s Italian contingent.
In an earlier statement, EUFOR confirmed that a CH-47 Chinook helicopter belonging to the Italian contingent had crashed. Prior to this, the force had reported that on 29 October, during a routine operation in the Brčko area, one of their aircraft had crashed.
EUFOR is an international military mission of the European Union, operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2004 as part of Operation Althea. Its task is to maintain security and stability in the country. Several hundred military personnel from 24 European countries are currently serving as part of the mission.