Libyan Military Chief Killed in Plane Crash, Launches Joint Investigation with Turkey

JAKARTA - Libyan authorities have sent a team to Ankara to conduct a joint investigation with Turkey, regarding the plane crash that killed the country's military leadership.

The commander of the Libyan military, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, died in a plane crash near the Turkish capital, Ankara, shortly after the private jet he was traveling in took off from the airport.

The crash on Tuesday killed everyone on board. Other victims were four high-ranking Libyan military officials and three crew members.

The Tripoli-based Libyan government confirmed the death of General al-Haddad and his staff in the accident.

In a statement, the government, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, called the death a "tragic loss for the nation, the military institution, and the entire people," quoted from Anadolu (24/12).

"We have lost people who served their country with sincerity and dedication and set an example of discipline, responsibility, and national commitment," he added.

🚨 Pemerintah Tripoli Libya mengkonfirmasi kematian kepala tentara, 4 ajudan setelah pesawat mereka kehilangan kontak di pedesaan Ankara

◾️Wreckage of Tripoli-bound private jet carrying Libyan army chief is found south of Haymana near Ankara

✈︎ Falcon 50 jet loses contact after… pic.twitter.com/vTkLs8SLiB

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) December 23, 2025

Separately, Turkish Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya earlier said that the wreckage of the Falcon 50 jet carrying General al-Haddad to Tripoli was found south of Haymana near Ankara.

Meanwhile, Turkish officials told Al Jazeera, the initial investigation had ruled out sabotage, instead pointing to a technical failure as the cause of the crash.

General al-Haddad is the highest-ranking military commander in western Libya and played a key role in the UN-mediated unification of the country, which has been divided since 2014 after a NATO-backed uprising that ousted and killed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

The other four officers killed in the crash were General Al-Fitouri Gharibil, head of the Libyan ground forces; Brigadier General Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, who heads the Military Manufacturing Authority; Muhammad Al-Asawi Diab, chief of staff advisor; and Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, military photographer at the chief of staff's office.

Initially, the Libyan delegation was in Ankara for high-level defense talks aimed at increasing military cooperation between the two countries, according to Turkish officials.

The government of the United National Union (GNU) of PM Dbeibah recognized by the United Nations in Tripoli announced a three-day official mourning period throughout the country.

The statement of the National Unity Government (GNU) said all state institutions would fly the flag at half-mast, while official ceremonies and celebrations would be suspended.

Turkish Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X, the al-Haddad plane took off from Ankara's Esenboga Airport at 20:10 local time for Tripoli, and radio contact was lost about 40 minutes later.

He said authorities found the plane's debris near Kesikkavak Village, Haymana District, Ankara.

Yerlikaya added that the Dassault Falcon 50-type jet had requested an emergency landing while over Haymana before all communications were cut off.

Separately, the head of the Turkish Presidential Communications Office Burhanettin Duran said the plane informed air traffic controllers of the power failure and requested an emergency landing. The plane was diverted back to Esenboga, where preparations for its landing began.

However, according to Duran, the plane disappeared from radar while descending for an emergency landing.

Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said that the Ankara prosecutor's office had launched an investigation into the incident.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, a Turkish official said "the initial reports of the investigation ruled out the possibility of sabotage of the Libyan Army Chief's plane crash".

"The initial cause was a technical failure," the official added.

The Libyan government plans to send a team to Ankara to work with Turkish authorities in investigating the accident.

Minister of State for Political Affairs and Communications GNU Walid Ellafi told Libyan broadcaster Alahrar, it was not clear when the report of the accident would be ready.

He said the jet that crashed was a Maltese-chartered plane, while officials had "not enough information regarding its ownership or technical history".

Al-Haddad, a highly respected figure throughout the country, has served as military commander since being appointed by then-Libyan PM Fayez al-Sarraj in August 2020.