A serious accident involved an Italian helicopter used as part of the multinational EUFOR Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to what was officially made known by the Ministry of Defence, the event caused the death of four soldiers on board the aircraft, which was carrying a total of fifteen passengers during the mission.

Among the recorded victims are two members of the Italian Army and two members of the Volunteer Military Corps of the Italian Red Cross. The other eleven people on board were injured and are receiving the necessary medical care; according to communications from the competent Defence authorities, none of the eleven injured is currently in life-threatening condition.

To ensure the best healthcare support for the personnel involved, the Ministry of Defence arranged the on-site dispatch of a specialist medical team directly from Italy. At the same time, all necessary investigations were promptly launched to clarify the exact dynamics of the events and establish precisely the technical or operational causes behind the air crash.

The Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, expressed his condolences and the closeness of the entire institution to the colleagues and families of the fallen. The ministry specified that it publicly released the details of what happened only after having duly informed the relatives of the people involved in the tragic accident.