Libya Army Chief, Top Officials Die in Aircraft Crash in Turkey

Türkiye- Libya’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, along with four other senior officials, was killed in a plane crash near Turkey’s capital, Ankara, on Tuesday, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed.

In an official statement, Prime Minister Dbeibah termed the incident a “tragic loss,” stating that the aircraft crashed while the Libyan delegation was returning to Tripoli after completing an official visit to Türkiye. He described the deaths as a profound blow to the nation, the military establishment, and the Libyan people.

The prime minister said those on board included the commander of Libya’s ground forces, the head of the military manufacturing authority, an adviser to the chief of staff, and a photographer from the chief of staff’s office.

“We have lost men who served their country with sincerity, discipline and national commitment,” the prime minister said, offering condolences to the families of the victims, the armed forces, and the wider Libyan public.

Türkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the wreckage of the Dassault Falcon 50-type business jet was found in the Haymana district, around 74 kilometres (45 miles) south of Ankara. The aircraft had departed Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 8:10pm local time (17:10 GMT) en route to Tripoli.

According to Yerlikaya, radio contact with the jet was lost at 8:52pm (17:52 GMT). He said the aircraft had issued an emergency landing request while flying over the Haymana area, but no further communication could be established afterward.

Turkish authorities later confirmed that five people were on board the aircraft, including al-Haddad.

Libyan officials said those killed alongside al-Haddad included:

• The chief of staff of the land forces
• The head of the military manufacturing authority
• An adviser to the army chief
• A photographer from the army’s media office

Libyan sources said contact with the plane was lost about half an hour into the flight, possibly due to a technical malfunction.

Mohammed al-Haddad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a central role in United Nations-backed efforts to unify Libya’s divided military institutions. A career military officer, he was widely respected within the armed forces for adhering to professional discipline and remaining neutral amid Libya’s powerful militias.

Al-Haddad had also played a prominent role on the side of the rebels during the 2011 uprising against former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

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Türkiye’s defence ministry had earlier announced al-Haddad’s visit to Ankara, where he met his Turkish counterpart and other senior military commanders. The visit was part of ongoing military and security coordination between Türkiye and Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli.

Ankara maintains close economic and military ties with Libya and has been a key supporter of the Tripoli-based government.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, while both Libyan and Turkish authorities continue to coordinate following the deadly incident.