Four Italian nationals have been killed after a military helicopter crashed during a training operation in northern Bosnia, the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR) confirmed.
A CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down in the Brcko region on Thursday, approximately 180 kilometres north of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo. EUFOR described the flight as "routine training" at the time of the crash.
Fifteen people were on board when the helicopter came down. Three were killed at the scene, while a fourth person later died from injuries at Brcko hospital, according to a hospital spokesman.
"Twelve people were transported to our hospital. Unfortunately, a fourth person succumbed to injuries in the hospital," the spokesman said.
A total of 11 people were injured in the crash. EUFOR said all injured personnel are receiving treatment and are in stable condition.
The Italian government confirmed in a statement that all those on board were Italian nationals. According to the Italian defence ministry, the four victims were two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto offered his condolences to the families of those killed.
"At this moment of immense grief, my thoughts go first and foremost to the families of our fallen, to whom I extend my personal condolences and those of the entire defence establishment," Crosetto said.
Bosnian media published photographs of the wreckage showing the helicopter overturned on the ground in a flat field.
EUFOR said it has launched a full investigation into the incident. "EUFOR is conducting a full and thorough investigation of the incident and will release more information as it is verified, and when appropriate," the force said in a statement.
EUFOR has been deployed in Bosnia since 2004, when it replaced a NATO peacekeeping force that had operated in the country since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. The mission, which maintains between 1,000 and 1,500 personnel, oversees the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the three-year conflict.
