In a devastating aviation disaster, Libya’s highest-ranking military officer Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad and seven others were killed when their business jet crashed near Ankara on Tuesday evening. The Falcon 50 aircraft, carrying four senior Libyan officials and three crew members, went down approximately 45 miles from the Turkish capital following reported electrical failure.
The tragedy unfolded shortly after the delegation’s diplomatic meetings with Turkish defense leadership. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the aircraft departed Esenboga airport at 17:10 GMT and lost contact 42 minutes into the flight. According to official statements, the pilots reported critical electrical system malfunction 16 minutes after takeoff and requested emergency landing procedures before communications terminated abruptly.
Eyewitnesses near the crash site in Haymana district described a massive explosion illuminating the night sky. “I heard a tremendous explosion sound—it resembled a detonating bomb,” recounted local resident Burhan Cicek to AFP correspondents. Turkish security forces rapidly located the wreckage and initiated comprehensive investigation procedures under the Ankara chief prosecutor’s supervision.
The deceased delegation included Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Major General Mohammed Jumaa, and senior advisor Mohammed Al-Assawi, representing devastating losses to Libya’s military leadership structure. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah expressed profound grief on social media, acknowledging the immense tragedy for the nation’s armed forces.
This catastrophe occurs amid Libya’s protracted political division between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and Khalifa Haftar’s eastern administration. Turkey maintains significant military and economic ties with the Tripoli government while recently engaging in diplomatic overtures to eastern factions, highlighting the complex geopolitical landscape surrounding this incident.