Libya’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad, has died alongside seven others following the crash of a business jet shortly after take-off from Ankara, Turkish and Libyan officials confirmed late Tuesday.
The Falcon 50 aircraft, which departed Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, went down in the Haymana district, about 74 kilometres south of the Turkish capital. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said contact with the jet was lost 42 minutes after departure, despite an earlier emergency landing request.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah announced the death in a statement on his official Facebook page, describing it as a moment of “deep sadness and great sorrow.” He confirmed that Haddad, who had served as Libya’s army chief of general staff since August 2020, was among those killed.
According to Turkish authorities, the aircraft took off at about 5:10 p.m. GMT and reported an electrical failure 16 minutes later, prompting the crew to request an emergency landing. Communication was subsequently lost, and the jet crashed before it could reach safety.
Burhanettin Duran, head of Turkey’s Presidency Communications Directorate, said the plane was carrying eight people — Haddad, four senior members of his entourage, and three crew members. All on board were confirmed dead.
Local residents described a loud explosion at the time of the crash. “I heard a huge blast; it was like a bomb,” said Burhan Cicek, a resident of Haymana.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office has opened a formal investigation into the incident. Libyan officials, including the country’s ambassador to Turkey, were present at the crash site.
Libya’s Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs, Walid Ellafi, said Turkish authorities promptly informed Tripoli after losing contact with the aircraft. He added that Libya is awaiting the outcome of the Turkish investigation into the crash.
Among those killed were Haddad’s adviser, Mohammed Al-Assawi, Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Major General Mohammed Jumaa, and their escort, Mohammed Al-Mahjoub.
Haddad had earlier held talks in Ankara with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and senior military officials before embarking on the return journey to Tripoli.
Libya has remained politically divided since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country is split between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east backed by forces loyal to Commander Khalifa Haftar.
Turkey maintains strong political and military ties with the Tripoli-based government, though it has recently expanded diplomatic engagement with eastern Libyan authorities.
The crash has sent shockwaves through Libya’s political and military establishment, as investigations continue into the cause of the fatal accident.
