Libyan Army Chief, 4 Others Killed In Plane Crash In Turkey, Probe Underway

Last Updated:December 24, 2025, 07:01 IST

Libyan Army Chief Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad and other military officials were killed in a plane crash while returning from an official trip to Turkey's capital.

Libyan Army Chief Mohammed al-Haddad (L) was killed in a plane crash in Turkey. (AFP)

The Libyan Army’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, and four other military officials were killed in a tragic plane crash while returning from Turkey’s capital Ankara on Tuesday, said Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah.

“It is with deep sadness and great sorrow that we learnt of the death of the Libyan army’s chief of general staff, Mohammed al-Haddad," said the PM in a statement. “This followed a tragic and painful incident while they were returning from an official trip from the Turkish city of Ankara. This grave loss is a great loss for the nation, for the military institution, and for all the people."

He said the commander of Libya‘s ground forces, the director of its military manufacturing authority, an adviser to the chief of staff, and a photographer from the chief of staff’s office were also on the aircraft.

Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the plane took off from the Ankara Airport at 8:10 pm (local time) on Tuesday, and radio contact was lost at 8:52 pm. He said authorities found the plane’s wreckage near the Kesikkavak village in Ankara’s Haymana district.

The cause of the crash has not been established so far. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation into the crash was underway. Additionally, the Tripoli-based Government of Unity said that the Libyan PM has directed the defence minister to send an official delegation to Ankara to follow up on proceedings.

Several Turkish media outlets broadcast images showing the sky lit up by an explosion not far from the location where the aircraft sent a signal. Walid Ellafi, Libyan minister of state for communication and political affairs, told local media that the Turkish government informed his government of the incident.

Haddad had been the army’s chief of general staff since August 2020 and was appointed by then-prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Meanwhile, the Libyan government announced official mourning across the country for three days in light of the tragedy.

Libya is split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Dbeibah, and Commander Khalifa Haftar’s administration in the east. Turkey, a NATO member, has militarily and politically supported Libya’s Tripoli-based, internationally recognised government.

(with inputs from agencies)

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