Libyan Army Chief Killed in Plane Crash in Turkey
According to reports, Mohamed Ali Ahmed El-Haddad, the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, died on Tuesday following a plane crash in Turkey. The accident occurred shortly after the plane took off from Esenboğa Airport in Ankara bound for Tripoli, with all passengers on board perishing.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh confirmed the incident, describing the death of the army chief and his companions as a great loss for the country, the military institutions, and the Libyan people. He noted that the plane was carrying several senior Libyan military officials.
According to released information, the Libyan Land Forces Commander, the head of the military industries department, an advisor to the Chief of Staff, and the chief’s office photographer were also on the flight and all lost their lives. These officials were on an official trip to Turkey and had held meetings with Turkish military officials.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that the plane took off from Ankara at 17:10 GMT, but radio contact was lost about 40 minutes later. The plane wreckage was found in the Haymana district of Ankara province.
Turkish authorities said the plane was a Dassault Falcon 50 model and had requested an emergency landing before the crash, but communication was not re-established. The Turkish Ministry of Justice has launched an official investigation into the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, the Libyan government has sent an official delegation to Ankara to follow up on the matter and declared three days of national mourning across the country. The crash occurred one day after the Turkish parliament extended the mission of Turkish troops in Libya for another two years.
