Libya’s Military Chief Dies in Plane Crash After Takeoff from Ankara. Ankara, Turkey — Libya’s military chief, Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, and four other senior officers were killed in a plane crash on Tuesday after takeoff from Ankara, Turkish officials confirmed.
The Falcon 50 business jet, carrying the Libyan delegation, crashed near the village of Kesikkavak, in Haymana, a district south of Ankara. Libyan officials attributed the crash to a technical malfunction, while Turkish authorities are conducting an investigation.
The Libyan delegation was in Ankara for high — level defense talks aimed at enhancing military cooperation between the two countries.
Gen. Al-Haddad, the top military commander in western Libya, was a key figure in the ongoing efforts to unify Libya’s military, which has been fragmented.
The other individuals killed in the crash were Gen.
Al — Fitouri Ghraibil, the head of Libya’s ground forces; Brig. Gen.
Mahmoud Al — Qatawi, who led the military manufacturing authority; Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, advisor to the chief of staff; and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer with the chief of staff’s office.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul — Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the deaths in a statement on Facebook, calling the incident a “tragic accident “and a “great loss “for Libya.
The prime minister also noted that the delegation was returning home when the accident occurred. Turkey’s Justice Ministry has assigned four prosecutors to investigate the crash.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that the plane took off at 8:30 p.
M. And lost contact 40 minutes later.
The aircraft issued an emergency landing signal before all communication ceased, according to Yerlikaya.
The Ankara airport was temporarily closed, and several flights were diverted as a result of the incident.
The situation remains under investigation, with further details expected to emerge as the Turkish authorities continue their inquiry.
