Libya’s army chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, was killed in a plane crash near the Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday, just minutes after the private jet he was travelling in took off from an airport, Turkish officials confirmed.
The crash claimed the lives of everyone on board, including four senior Libyan military officers and three crew members.
Crash Occurred Shortly After Take-off
According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the Dassault Falcon 50-type jet departed Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 8:10 pm local time (17:10 GMT) en route to Tripoli.
“Radio contact was lost approximately 40 minutes after take-off,” Yerlikaya said in a post on X.
He added that the aircraft had requested an emergency landing while flying over the Haymana district before communication was completely cut off.
Technical Failure, Not Sabotage: Turkish Officials
Authorities later located the wreckage near Kesikkavak village in Ankara’s Haymana district.
Al Jazeera, quoting Turkish officials, reports that initial investigations have ruled out sabotage, with evidence instead pointing to a technical failure as the cause of the crash.
Libyan PM Confirms Deaths, Calls It a “Great Tragedy”
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the deaths of al-Haddad and the four accompanying officers, describing the incident as a “tragic accident” that occurred as the delegation was returning home.
“This great tragedy is a great loss for the nation, the military establishment, and all the people,” Dbeibah said in a statement.
“We have lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication and were an example of discipline, responsibility, and national commitment,” he added.
Senior Military Officials Among the Dead
The four other officers who died in the crash were identified as:
General Al-Fitouri Gharibil, head of Libya’s ground forces
Brigadier General Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, head of the Military Manufacturing Authority
Muhammad Al-Asawi Diab, adviser to the chief of staff
Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer attached to the chief of staff’s office
Three crew members aboard the jet were also killed.
The crash occurred just days after Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir met Libya’s military leadership. Similarly, in June 2025, Iran’s top commander, Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, was killed after meeting Munir.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
