Tragedy in Ankara: Libya’s Chief of Staff and Top Military Leaders Killed in Plane Crash

In a devastating loss for the Libyan military, Chief of Staff General Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad and four senior officials were killed Tuesday when their chartered aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ankara. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that debris and bodies were located near the village of Kesikkavak in the Haymana district. The aircraft reportedly issued a distress signal due to a technical failure before vanishing from radar.

Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh confirmed the deaths of the high-level delegation, which included Chief of Land Forces General Al-Fitouri Gribel, Military Manufacturing Director Brigadier Mahmoud Al-Qatiwi, Advisor Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, and photographer Mohammed Mahjoub. Libyan State Minister Walid Al-Lafi clarified that the crashed plane was a chartered flight, not a Libyan military asset. Ankara’s Prosecutor’s Office has launched a formal investigation into the suspected electrical failure that brought down the mission following official talks with Turkish military leadership.