Libyan Military Chief Killed In Private Plane Crash After Takeoff From Ankara

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ANKARA (Worthy News) – Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah said late Tuesday that the country has suffered a “great loss” after its military chief was confirmed among eight people killed in a private plane crash shortly after takeoff from Turkey’s capital, Ankara.

Libyan officials said Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, along with four senior officers and three crew members, died when the aircraft suffered an apparent technical malfunction while returning to Libya following official talks.

The crash occurred as the delegation was flying home after high-level defense meetings aimed at boosting military cooperation between Turkey and Libya, according to Turkish and Libyan officials.

Al-Haddad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a central role in United Nations–backed efforts to reunify Libya’s fractured armed forces after years of conflict and political division.

SENIOR OFFICERS AMONG DEAD

Those killed also included General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, head of Libya’s ground forces; Brigadier General Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, chief of the military manufacturing authority; Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, an adviser to the chief of staff; and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, an army photographer, officials said.

Turkish authorities confirmed the wreckage of the Falcon 50 business jet was found near the village of Kesikkavak in Haymana district, about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) south of Ankara.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft roughly 40 minutes after its 8:30 p.m. local time departure from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport, officials said. Turkey’s Interior Ministry confirmed the jet issued an emergency landing signal after reporting an electrical fault.

The aircraft was redirected back toward Ankara, but disappeared from radar while descending. Local television footage showed a bright flash in the night sky near Haymana, believed to be the moment of impact.

INVESTIGATION UNDER WAY

Turkey temporarily closed Ankara’s airport following the crash, diverting several flights.

The Justice Ministry said four prosecutors have been assigned to investigate, while Libya announced it would send an investigative team to work alongside Turkish authorities.

The tragedy comes a day after Turkey’s parliament approved a two-year extension of the mandate for Turkish troops deployed in Libya under a 2019 security agreement with the Tripoli-based government, highlighting the broader regional and political context surrounding the ill-fated visit.

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