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An Italian military helicopter serving with the European Union’s EUFOR force in Bosnia crashed Thursday, killing some of those on board and seriously injuring others, the mission said.
EUFOR said the Chinook helicopter went down during a “routine mission” in the Brcko region, about 180 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of Sarajevo. The mission did not say how many people were killed or hurt. Media reports said three crew members had died.
In a statement, EUFOR said “a number of EUFOR personnel tragically lost their lives, and others were seriously injured.” It added that emergency services were at the scene and “working to control the situation.”
An earlier statement said no civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles were damaged in the crash, and that no civilians were injured.
The cause of the crash has not been given. EUFOR said it is carrying out a “full and thorough investigation” and will release more information “as it is verified, and when appropriate.”
The Chinook is a twin-rotor heavy-lift helicopter widely used by NATO and European armed forces for moving troops and cargo. Brcko lies in the north of Bosnia, near the border with Croatia.
EUFOR has maintained a military presence in Bosnia since 2004, when it took over from a NATO-led peacekeeping force that had been deployed after the country’s 1992-95 war. That conflict ended with the Dayton peace agreement in 1995.
According to its website, the current force has several hundred troops from 24 European states.
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