Libya's army chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, and four other Libyan officials were killed in a plane crash near Turkey's capital Ankara on
Tuesday, Libya's Prime Minister said. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah described the incident on Tuesday as a "tragic accident” that occurred as the delegation was returning from an official visit to Ankara. "This great tragedy is a great loss for the nation, the military establishment, and all the people, as we have lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication and were an example of discipline, responsibility, and national commitment,” he said in a statement. Dbeibah said those killed alongside General al-Haddad were the ground forces chief of staff, Al-Fitouri Gharibil; the director of the Military Manufacturing Authority, Mahmoud al-Qatawi; an adviser to the army chief, Muhammad al-Asawi Diab; and a military photographer, Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.
Search-and-rescue teams have reportedly reached the crash site of the private jet carrying Libya’s Chief of General Staff, General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, near the Turkish capital of Ankara. pic.twitter.com/6atSweMLzb
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 23, 2025
Turkish officials said three crew members also died in the crash. Burhanettin Duran, head of Turkey's presidency communications directorate, said on X that the private jet 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 the air traffic control centre due to an electrical failure, asking for an emergency landing,” he said.
BREAKING: First footage of Libyan Army Chief of General Staff Muhammed Ali Al-Haddad’s plane crashing in Haymana, Türkiye after taking off from Anakara’s Esenboğa Airport pic.twitter.com/m8kk1r8w1s
— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) December 23, 2025
Turkey's interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said the Falcon 50 business jet had taken off from Ankara's Esenboğa Airport at 20:10 local time on Tuesday and that radio contact was lost at 20:52. He later said the wreckage had been found about two kilometres south of Kesikkavak village in the Haymana district, around 74km (45 miles) from Ankara.
Turkey's justice minister, Yilmaz Tunc, said the Ankara chief public prosecutor's office had launched an investigation. A Turkish official said initial findings ruled out sabotage and pointed to a technical failure.
Several Turkish media outlets broadcast footage showing a flash of light in the sky near the area where the aircraft lost contact.
Turkey's defence ministry had earlier announced Gen al-Haddad's visit, saying he had met his Turkish counterpart and other senior military commanders. The trip followed parliamentary approval in Ankara to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Libya by a further two years.
There was no immediate independent confirmation from Libyan military authorities, but correspondents in Tripoli said Gen al-Haddad's death would be a significant loss for the Libyan armed forces.
