SARAJEVO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The mayor of Brcko, a city in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), has declared Friday a day of mourning for four Italian military personnel killed in a helicopter crash in the area on Thursday.
Sinisa Milic described the incident on Thursday afternoon as one of the most tragic events involving international military forces in BiH since 1997.
According to local news agency FENA, the Italian troops serve with the European Union Force (EUFOR). The crash killed three people at the scene and a fourth after being taken to hospital. The other 11 people involved in the incident are no longer in life-threatening condition.
Milic also expressed gratitude to the helicopter pilot for avoiding crashing into a densely populated area, which prevented civilian casualties.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto arrived in BiH on Friday and visited the injured EUFOR personnel in hospital, accompanied by BiH Defense Minister Zukan Helez, FENA said. ■
