An Italian military helicopter has crashed in Bosnia.

An Italian military helicopter has crashed in Gorice, near Brčko in Bosnia. The aircraft, which has been deployed since last January as part of the European EUFOR Althea mission, is an Italian Army CH-47F Chinook transport helicopter belonging to the 4th ‘Altair’ Regiment in Bolzano. The provisional toll stands at four dead and 12 injured. The nationalities of the victims and the circumstances of the accident are not yet known.

A video shared on X showed the helicopter in the moments immediately before it hit the ground, as it spun round on its own axis with its landing gear down – a sign that the pilot had probably attempted an emergency landing manoeuvre.

The vehicle was on a routine mission, as a Eufor spokesperson explained yesterday, adding that an internal investigation has already been launched to establish the circumstances of the incident. Concerns now centre on the condition of the injured who have been taken to nearby hospitals, some of whom are in a serious condition. Messages of condolence arrived in the evening from, amongst others, the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The European mission, led by the Italian Maurizio Fronda, has been providing support for the training of the Bosnian Armed Forces since 2004.