Libyan military chief among eight killed in plane crash over Turkey
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibeh confirmed the death of the chief of staff of the Libyan army describing it as a “great loss to the homeland”
The military chief of Libya is among eight people killed after a small private jet crashed in Turkey, authorities have confirmed.
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Wreckage was found near Ankara after the aircraft carrying General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al Haddad went down shortly after take-off.
Turkey’s interior minister said the Falcon 50 jet left Esenboga Airport at around 8.30pm before issuing an emergency landing signal near Haymana, south of the capital, with contact then lost.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibeh confirmed the death of General Haddad, the chief of staff of the Libyan army, describing it as a “great loss to the homeland”.
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Four other senior military officers and three crew members also died in the crash.
Among those killed were General Haddad’s adviser Mohammed al Asawi Diab, General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, chief of staff of Libya’s ground forces, General Mahmoud al Qatawi, director of the Military Industrialisation Organisation, and military photographer Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.
Posting on X, Mr Dbeibeh said: “This tragic and painful incident occurred during their return from an official trip from the Turkish city of Ankara.
"This grave affliction is a great loss to the homeland, to the military institution, and to all the sons of the people, as we have lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication, and who were an example of discipline, responsibility, and national commitment.”
He added: “Our deepest condolences and sincere solace to the families of those we have lost, and to their comrades in the armed forces.”
Turkey’s defence ministry said General Haddad had met Turkish defence minister Yasar Guler, his counterpart Selcuk Bayraktaroglu and other senior Turkish military commanders during the visit.
General Haddad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a key role in UN-backed efforts to reunify the country’s armed forces, which remain divided.
Libya has been split between rival administrations since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Mr Dbeibeh leads the internationally recognised, Tripoli-based government in the west, while former Gaddafi commander Khalifa Haftar controls forces in the east.