Ankara. A total of five people, including Libyan Army Chief (Chief of General Staff) General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, died in a tragic plane crash in Turkey. Libya’s Tripoli-based government officially confirmed the accident late Tuesday evening. The accident occurred when Al-Haddad was returning home after completing an official visit to the Turkish capital Ankara.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah issued a message of condolence on social media, saying General al-Haddad’s death was an “irreparable loss” for the country. He described it as a deep blow to the Libyan army and the entire nation. The government statement said al-Haddad and his colleagues were symbols of service to the country, discipline and national commitment. According to Turkish officials, the private jet Falcon-50 took off from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 8:17 pm on 23 December. About 15 minutes into takeoff, technical problems with the aircraft, specifically electrical failure, were reported. The aircraft sent an emergency landing alert near the Haimana area, but disappeared from radar after a few minutes and contact was lost.
Burhanettin Duran, communications director of Türkiye’s presidential office, said the wreckage of the plane was recovered near Haymana, south of Ankara, after an overnight search operation. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also confirmed that an investigation into the accident has been launched and all relevant agencies are working with utmost caution. It is noteworthy that General al-Haddad was the top military commander of western Libya and played an important role in the efforts to unify Libya’s divided army under the mediation of the United Nations. During his visit to Ankara, he had important talks with top Turkish military officials on defense cooperation and regional security.
