Libya’s Prime Minister says the army chief died in a plane crash in Turkey.
Gen Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad and four others flew on a Falcon 50 jet from Ankara on Tuesday night.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted on X that the jet lost signal at 20:52 local time. That was 42 minutes after takeoff from Ankara’s airport.
The plane headed to Tripoli. It asked for an emergency landing just before contact broke off. Wreckage turned up southwest of Ankara. Officials now probe the cause.
Yerlikaya later posted on X. Police found debris near Kesikkavak village in Haymana district. He said more updates would come for the public.
Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh leads the recognized Government of National Unity. He learned of Gen Haddad’s death and other top officers on the jet.
Dbeibeh called it a huge loss for Libya. He said the nation lost loyal men who served with heart.
Gen Haddad’s group visited Turkey for talks. They aimed to boost military and security ties between the countries.
Turkey stepped in big in Libya since 2019. It stopped an eastern army from ousting Tripoli’s government. Now it holds strong political, military, and economic links there.
