The army chief of staff of Libya, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, was killed on Tuesday when the private jet he was travelling in crashed shortly after take-off near Ankara, Turkish authorities said.
The crash claimed the lives of all those on board, including four senior Libyan military officers and three crew members. Turkish officials told Al Jazeera that preliminary findings ruled out sabotage and suggested a technical malfunction caused the accident.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah confirmed al-Haddad’s death, describing the incident as a “tragic accident” that occurred as the delegation was returning to Libya. In a statement, he said the country had lost officers who served with “sincerity, discipline and national commitment,” calling it a major blow to the nation and its military institutions.
Most Senior Commander In Western Libya
Al-Haddad was the most senior military commander in western Libya and a key figure in United Nations-led efforts to reunify the country, which has remained divided since the NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The officers who died alongside him were General Al-Fitouri Gharibil, head of Libya’s ground forces; Brigadier General Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, chief of the Military Manufacturing Authority; Muhammad Al-Asawi Diab, adviser to the chief of staff; and Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer attached to al-Haddad’s office.
Following the incident, the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli declared three days of national mourning. Flags at state institutions will fly at half-mast, and all official ceremonies and celebrations have been suspended.
Turkish officials said the Libyan delegation had been in Ankara for high-level defence discussions aimed at strengthening military cooperation between Libya and Turkey.
