Libya’s army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, was killed along with four other senior officials in a plane crash near the Turkish capital Ankara, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed on Tuesday.
In an official statement, Prime Minister Dbeibah described the incident as a “tragic and painful” loss that occurred as the Libyan delegation was returning to Tripoli after an official visit to Türkiye. He said the crash represented a major blow to the nation, the armed forces, and the Libyan people.
“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,” the prime minister said.
According to Dbeibah, those killed alongside Lt Gen al-Haddad included the commander of Libya’s ground forces, the director of the military manufacturing authority, an adviser to the chief of staff, and a photographer from the chief of staff’s office.
“We have lost men who served their country with sincerity, discipline, and national commitment,” he added, extending condolences to the families of the victims, the Libyan armed forces, and the wider public.
No further details were immediately released regarding the cause of the crash. Libyan and Turkish authorities are expected to investigate the incident.
