Libya was thrown into mourning late Tuesday night after a military jet carrying the country’s army chief and senior officers crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara, Turkey.
The tragic incident, which was completely unexpected, claimed the lives of Libya’s top military commander, four senior officials, and three crew members.
The aircraft, a Falcon 50 business jet, went down near the Haymana district outside Ankara, according to Turkish authorities.
The crash occurred less than an hour after the plane departed, triggering an emergency response and an immediate investigation by Turkish officials.
Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, confirmed the devastating loss in an emotional message shared online.
“It is with deep sadness and great sorrow that we learnt of the de@th of the Libyan army’s chief of general staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad,” he wrote.
Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad had earlier on Tuesday held high-level talks in Ankara with Turkey’s Defence Minister, Yasar Guler, and his military counterpart, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. The delegation was returning to Tripoli when the tragedy struck.
According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the jet took off from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 5:10 p.m. GMT.
However, “contact was lost” 42 minutes later, raising alarm among aviation authorities.
The aircraft reportedly sent an emergency landing signal near Haymana, about 74 kilometres from Ankara, but communication could not be restored.
Meanwhile, a senior Turkish official revealed that the plane experienced an electrical failure shortly after departure.
Burhanettin Duran, head of Turkey’s communications directorate, explained that the jet “reported an emergency to the air traffic control centre due to an electrical failure, asking for an emergency landing.”
The aircraft was carrying eight people in total, including Haddad, four members of his entourage, and three crew members. Sadly, none survived the crash.
Local residents described a terrifying scene moments before the wreckage was discovered. “I heard a big sound of explosion. It was like a bomb,” said Burhan Cicek, who lives in the Haymana area.
Following the incident, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office had opened a formal investigation.
Furthermore, Turkish security teams and Libyan officials, including Libya’s ambassador to Ankara, were deployed to the crash site.
Libyan Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs, Walid Ellafi, confirmed that Turkish authorities promptly informed Libya of the incident.
“We received a call from the Turkish authorities immediately after the incident, reporting that contact with the aircraft had been lost,” he said.
Ellafi added, “All contact with the aircraft was lost about half an hour after takeoff from Ankara airport due to a technical problem,” noting that Libya is awaiting the outcome of the Turkish investigation.
The victims also included Haddad’s advisor, Mohammed Al-Assawi, Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Major General Mohammed Jumaa, and their escort, Mohammed Al-Mahjoub.
Therefore, the crash represents a significant blow to Libya’s military leadership at a sensitive time for the country.
