Ankara, Turkey — Libya’s top military leader, Army Chief Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, has died in a plane crash near the Turkish capital after the private jet he was travelling in lost contact shortly after takeoff, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The tragic Libyan army chief dies in Turkey plane crash, marking a significant loss for the country’s military and ongoing unity efforts.
Turkish authorities reported that the Dassault Falcon 50 business jet departed from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport bound for Tripoli and lost radio contact about 40–45 minutes into the flight. The aircraft reportedly issued a request for an emergency landing over the Haymana district before communications ceased. Wreckage of the plane was later located south of Kesikkavak village in the Ankara province.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Al-Haddad and four senior military officials aboard the flight, including the commander of Libya’s ground forces, the director of its military manufacturing authority, an adviser, and a military photographer. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Turkish authorities.
In response to this devastating event, Libya’s Government of National Unity declared three days of national mourning, ordering flags at half-mast and suspension of official festivities, a stark backdrop as the country approaches its Independence Day celebrations. Dbeibah has directed a delegation to coordinate with Turkish officials on the investigation.
The late Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, born in Misrata in 1967, was a long-serving lieutenant general and prominent figure in efforts to unify Libya’s fragmented military institutions following years of political division. His leadership was central to ongoing peace and reform initiatives within Libya’s security forces.
In a separate but equally solemn note reflecting on the fragility of leadership and global events this year, news also emerged of the death of Masjid e-Nabawi’s Muadhin Faisal bin Abdul Malik, a loss felt deeply in spiritual circles. According to reports, he passed away recently, underscoring a year marked by notable passings across different spheres of public life.
The tragic confirmation that the Libyan army chief dies in Turkey plane crash has sent shockwaves across Libya and the region, with leaders and citizens alike mourning the loss of a figure seen as key to the nation’s stability and future unity.
