Libya’s Chief of Staff, Gen. Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has been killed in an air crash in Turkey, Libya’s prime minister has confirmed.
Gen. al-Haddad was among five people on board a Falcon 50 business jet that went down on Tuesday evening shortly after departing Ankara en route to Tripoli.
According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, contact with the aircraft was lost at 20:52 local time (17:52 GMT), approximately 42 minutes after takeoff from Ankara’s airport. Prior to losing communication, the jet had issued an emergency landing request.
The wreckage of the aircraft was later located south-west of Ankara. Turkish authorities have launched an investigation to establish the cause of the crash.
Gen. al-Haddad was a key figure in Libya’s military leadership and had been involved in security coordination efforts amid Libya’s ongoing political and security challenges. His death is expected to have significant implications for Libya’s military establishment.
Officials from both Libya and Turkey are expected to release further details as the investigation progresses.
