Libya Army Chief of Staff Killed in Plane Crash After Ankara Trip

GOOBJOOG NEWS|ANKARA: Libya’s army chief of staff, Lt Gen Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has died in a plane crash in Turkey shortly after departing the capital, Ankara, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Dbeibah said the incident occurred as the delegation was returning from an official visit to Ankara, describing the deaths as a “tragic and painful” loss for the country and for Libya’s military institution. He said four others were on the jet with al-Haddad.

Turkish officials and international media reports said the aircraft, a Falcon 50-type business jet, lost radio contact shortly after take-off and crashed near the village of Kesikkavak in Ankara’s Haymana district. Reports said the jet had requested an emergency landing before communication was lost, with Turkish authorities opening an investigation into the cause.

While Libyan authorities initially referred to five people on board, other reports said additional crew members were also killed, bringing the total number of fatalities higher.

According to Reuters, the four other passengers included senior military figures and staff linked to the chief of staff’s office, among them the commander of Libya’s ground forces, the head of the military manufacturing authority, an adviser, and a military photographer. Dbeibah declared days of official mourning and said Libya would send a delegation to Ankara to follow up on the investigation and coordination with Turkish authorities