Libya's Army Chief, 4 Other High-Ranking Military Officials Killed In Plane Crash Near Turkey's Ankara; Chilling Video Goes Viral

Libya’s Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad and four other Libyan officials were among eight people killed when a private jet crashed near Turkey’s capital, Ankara, on Tuesday evening, Libyan and Turkish officials confirmed. The incident has sent shockwaves through Libya’s political and military establishment, with leaders describing the loss as a major national tragedy.

According to Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the aircraft, a Falcon 50 business jet, went down in the Haymana district, around 74 kilometres south of Ankara. The wreckage was discovered roughly two kilometres south of Kesikkavak village after Turkish security teams launched a search operation. Three crew members on board the aircraft were also killed in the crash.

Videos Of Wreckage Surface On The Internet

The jet had departed from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 8:10 pm local time. Radio contact with the plane was lost at approximately 8:52 pm, leading to emergency response efforts. Turkish media later aired footage showing a sudden flash of light in the night sky near the area where the aircraft disappeared, while a video showed the exact moments of the crash.

Burhanettin Duran, head of Turkey’s Presidency Communications Directorate, said the aircraft had reported an electrical failure and requested an emergency landing. “A private jet carrying Libyan Chief of General Staff Mohammed al-Haddad, four members of his entourage and three crew members reported an emergency to air traffic control due to an electrical failure,” Duran said in a post on X.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the deaths in a statement shared on his official Facebook page. “It is with deep sadness and great sorrow that we learnt of the death of the Libyan army’s chief of general staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad,” he wrote. Dbeibah described the crash as a profound loss for Libya, saying the victims were men who served their country “with sincerity and dedication” and embodied discipline, responsibility, and national commitment.

Details On The Deceased Military Officials

Alongside General al-Haddad, those killed included Al-Fitouri Gharibil, chief of staff of the ground forces; Mahmoud al-Qatawi, director of the Military Manufacturing Authority; Muhammad al-Asawi Diab, an adviser to the army chief; and Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are expected to continue, with Turkish authorities coordinating recovery and examination efforts. The tragedy marks one of the deadliest incidents involving senior Libyan military officials in recent years.