Libya’s military chief, 7 others killed in plane crash after takeoff from Turkey

Libya’s top military commander, General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, and seven others were killed on Tuesday when a private jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Ankara, Turkish and Libyan officials confirmed.

The Falcon 50 business jet was carrying al-Haddad, four senior officers and three crew members. The delegation had been in Ankara for high-level defence talks to strengthen military cooperation between Libya and Turkey and was returning home when the crash occurred.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah described the incident as a “tragic accident” and a “great loss” for the country. Al-Haddad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a key role in UN-brokered efforts to reunify the country’s divided armed forces.

The other officers killed were 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, a military photographer. The identities of the three crew members were not immediately released.

The aircraft went down near the village of Kesikkavak in the Haymana district, about 70 kilometres south of Ankara, Turkish authorities said. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane about 40 minutes after its 8:30 p.m. departure from Esenboğa Airport.

According to Turkish officials, the jet reported an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing before disappearing from radar while descending. Security camera footage showed a flash resembling an explosion lighting up the night sky over the crash area.

Ankara’s airport was temporarily closed and flights were diverted. Turkey’s Justice Ministry assigned four prosecutors to investigate the incident. Libya said it would send a team to Ankara to assist with the probe.

The crash comes amid renewed diplomatic and military engagement between Libya and Turkey. Turkey has long supported Libya’s western-based government and recently extended the mandate of its troops deployed in Libya under a 2019 security agreement.

Libyan authorities said a technical malfunction caused the crash. Investigations are ongoing.