Libyan Army Chief Killed in Plane Crash Near Ankara, Turkiye

A routine flight has ended in a national tragedy. A private jet carrying Libya's army chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, crashed near Ankara, Turkiye, killing all eight people on board. Officials from both nations have now launched a joint investigation into the cause.

A 19-Minute Flight

The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 50, took off from Ankara Esenboga Airport on Tuesday, bound for Tripoli. According to Turkiye’s head of communications, Burhanettin Duran, the pilots reported an electrical malfunction 16 minutes after takeoff and requested an emergency landing. Air traffic controllers directed the jet back towards Ankara, but radar contact was lost three minutes later. The wreckage was subsequently found near the village of Kesikkavak.

Joint Probe and Repatriation Delays

Following the crash, Turkish authorities launched emergency search and rescue operations. A Libyan delegation, led by Criminal Investigation Department chief Major General Mahmoud Ashour, visited the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday to coordinate on the inquiry. In Libya, preparations for the funeral are being delayed. Al Jazeera reported from Misrata that the severity of the crash has necessitated extensive DNA testing, pushing the timeline for repatriating the bodies to as late as Saturday.