Libyan Military Chief and Seven Others Killed in Turkish Plane Crash

Libya's Chief of General Staff, Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, along with four senior military officials and three crew members, perished in a plane crash near Ankara, Turkey, on December 23, 2025. The delegation was returning to Tripoli after defense discussions with Turkish counterparts.

The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 50, departed Ankara's Esenboğa Airport at 8:30 p.m. local time. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, the crew reported an electrical malfunction and requested an emergency landing. The plane disappeared from radar during its descent and crashed near the village of Kesikkavak in the Haymana district, about 70 kilometers south of Ankara.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that the wreckage was scattered over a three-square-kilometer area, complicating recovery efforts. Search teams have recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders, and investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the deaths, describing the incident as a "tragic accident" and a "great loss" for Libya. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his condolences in a phone call with Dbeibah.

Gen. al-Haddad was instrumental in United Nations-led efforts to unify Libya's fragmented military. The other Libyan officials who died were Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, head of Libya's ground forces; Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, director of the Military Manufacturing Authority; Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, advisor to the chief of staff; and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military ... .

The Libyan government has declared a three-day period of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast across all state institutions.