TRIPOLI, Libya — The Libyan government conducted a solemn military funeral on Saturday for Western Military Commander General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and four senior officers who perished in a tragic aircraft accident in Turkey. Their flag-draped caskets arrived at Tripoli International Airport, where a solemn procession of honor guards carried photographs of the deceased through the capital.
The fatal incident occurred Tuesday when the private jet carrying General al-Haddad, four military officials, and three crew members crashed shortly after departure from Ankara. While preliminary investigations indicate technical failure as the probable cause, Turkish and Libyan authorities continue joint examination of the wreckage to determine the exact circumstances.
This tragedy strikes at a critical juncture in Libya’s fractured political landscape. Since the 2011 revolution that overthrew longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi, the nation has remained divided between rival administrations in Tripoli and Benghazi, each supported by separate armed factions and international patrons. Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah leads the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, while Prime Minister Ossama Hammad heads the eastern-based administration.
During the funeral oration, Prime Minister Dbeibah eulogized General al-Haddad as a pivotal figure who maintained military organization ‘amid overwhelming darkness and outlaw groups.’ The late commander had been instrumental in United Nations-mediated negotiations to reunify Libya’s divided military establishment.
‘Our martyrs were not merely military leaders but statesmen of wisdom and discipline who carried profound responsibility,’ Dbeibah stated. ‘They believed the national Libyan army represents the nation’s shield and that institutional development provides the genuine path toward stability and security.’
The delegation had been returning from Ankara where they participated in defense coordination talks aimed at enhancing military cooperation between Libya and Turkey. Ankara has traditionally supported Tripoli’s western government but has recently pursued diplomatic overtures toward the eastern administration.
Turkey conducted a separate memorial ceremony at Murted airbase near Ankara attended by Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Military Chief General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, who subsequently accompanied the remains to Libya aboard a military transport aircraft. The fallen officers will be laid to rest Sunday in Misrata, approximately 200 kilometers east of Tripoli.