A helicopter operated by the European Union’s peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina crashed in the country’s north on Thursday, with local media reporting three deaths and 12 injuries.
The EU-led force, known as EUFOR Althea, confirmed the crash in a statement, saying a number of personnel had been killed or injured.
It said an investigation was underway and further information would be released later.
Local media identified the aircraft as an Italian CH-47 Chinook that crashed near the town of Brcko.
Brcko District Mayor Sinisa Milic told Bosnian Serb broadcaster RTRS that three people had died and 12 had received medical treatment, including one person in critical condition.
Wreckage pictured near Brcko
Bosnian news portal Klix published photographs showing the largely destroyed helicopter lying on a lawn after the crash.
EUFOR said no civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles had been damaged and that no civilians were injured.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established, and the investigation is ongoing
EUFOR mission supports post-war stability
EUFOR Althea has maintained a peacekeeping presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2004, when it took over from NATO to help preserve security and oversee the military provisions of the peace agreement that ended the 1992–1995 war.
The mission, which has around 1,200 soldiers, operates under a United Nations Security Council mandate and supports efforts to maintain a safe and secure environment in the country.
