The Libyan army’s chief of staff, Mohammed al-Haddad, died in a plane crash Türkiye died. This was announced by the Prime Minister of the government in Tripoli, Abdel Hamid Dbaiba. Al-Haddad and four companions died in a “tragic and painful accident” while returning from an official visit to Turkey, Dbaiba said.
The Turkish Interior Ministry had previously confirmed reports that al-Haddad had been on board a plane that had departed Ankara had lost contact with Esenboga Airport in the Turkish capital. As Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced, the plane took off at 8:30 p.m. (local time) and contact was lost 40 minutes later. The plane had previously sent an emergency landing signal.
Local television stations showed security camera footage that showed a bright glow across the night sky south of Ankara. Some Turkish media reported an explosion. About half an hour after his first announcement, Interior Minister Yerlikaya confirmed on X that the plane wreckage had been found by Turkish security forces.
Al-Haddad was part of a Turkish-backed government
Loud Libya Head of Government Dbaiba, General al-Haddad was returning from an official visit to the Turkish capital. There he spoke with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler and other government representatives. Dbaiba did not say who al-Haddad’s four companions were.
Al-Haddad was chief of general staff in the Dbaiba government based in the Libyan capital Tripoliwhich is hostile to the government in eastern Libya. Turkey is considered the most important supporter of the government in Tripoli. In 2019, the Turkish government helped it with military support to repel a major offensive in which General Khalifa Haftar, the de facto ruler of eastern Libya, wanted to take Tripoli.
