Libya’s Chief of General Staff, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has been killed in an aircraft crash in Turkey, Libyan and Turkish officials confirmed late Tuesday, dealing a major blow to the country’s military leadership.
The general was travelling on a Falcon 50 business jet that departed Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport on Tuesday evening en route to Tripoli when the aircraft disappeared from radar. Authorities later confirmed that al-Haddad, four senior Libyan military officers and three crew members were killed in the crash.
What Happened
Turkey’s Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said air traffic controllers lost contact with the jet at 8:52 p.m. local time (17:52 GMT), about 42 minutes after takeoff. The aircraft had earlier requested an emergency landing, though the nature of the emergency has not been disclosed.
Search-and-rescue teams later located the wreckage south-west of Ankara, near Kesikkavak village in the Haymana district. Turkish officials said the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered, and an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the accident.
Libya Reacts
Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who leads the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli, confirmed the deaths and described the incident as a national tragedy.
“Libya has lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication,” Dbeibah said, calling al-Haddad’s death a “great loss” for the armed forces.
Mission to Ankara
Al-Haddad and his delegation had been in Ankara earlier on Tuesday for high-level talks with Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, focusing on strengthening military and security cooperation. Images released by Turkish officials showed the Libyan general meeting counterparts only hours before the fatal flight.
Turkey has been a key ally of the Tripoli-based government since 2019, when it intervened militarily to help repel an offensive by eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar. Ankara’s support has since expanded into training, defence cooperation and economic ties.
Wider Implications
Libya remains politically and militarily divided between the GNU in Tripoli and the rival Government of National Stability in the east, aligned with Haftar. The country has faced persistent instability since the 2011 uprising that overthrew longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
Analysts say al-Haddad’s death could have significant security and political implications, given his central role in coordinating Libya’s armed forces and managing key foreign partnerships, particularly with Turkey.
Both Turkish and Libyan authorities said further details would be released as the crash investigation progresses.
Source: Africa Publicity
