ISLAMABAD : Monitoring Desk – Libya’s Chief of Army Staff, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al‑Haddad, has been confirmed dead after the private jet he was aboard crashed in Turkiye, the next day when Turkish Parliament approved the presence of its military in Tripoli for support of Libya.
The aircraft lost radio contact shortly after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport while returning to Tripoli following an official visit.
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Turkish authorities later located the wreckage near the Haymana district. Four others, including senior military officials, also died in the crash.
Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, mourned the loss of al‑Haddad, a key figure in ongoing military unification efforts.
The aircraft lost contact 15 minutes after departing Ankara Airport due to a sudden technical malfunction, according to an official statement.
The plane was confirmed to be carrying Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad, Chief of Staff of the Western Region Government, along with his accompanying delegation. All aboard have perished.
Few hours before plane crash in ANKARA
Al-Haddad was on a working visit in Ankara, where he met with his Turkish counterpart, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu.
The last public appearance of Libya’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali al-Haddad, today during an official reception at the General Staff headquarters in Turkey.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that four prosecutors have been appointed to conduct a full and comprehensive investigation into the downing of the aircraft carrying Libya’s Chief of Staff and accompanies.
Libya Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad paid a visit to Ankara on Dec. 23 to hold talks with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. The visiting general was also received by Defense Minister Yaşar Güler.
The Turkish parliament has approved the extension of the Turkish army’s deployment in Libya for an additional two years starting from Jan. 2, 2026.
Signed by President Erdoğan and presented to the Turkish parliament, the motion underscores the importance of prolonging Turkish forces’ deployment in Libya to preserve the ceasefire and foster political negotiations.
Those who died alongside Al-Haddad include Lieutenant General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces; Brigadier General Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, Director of the Military Manufacturing Authority; Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, advisor to the Chief of the General Staff; and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a photographer at the Chief of Staff’s Media Office. 
The Prime Minister of the Eastern Region Government, Dr. Osama Hamad, and the Prime Minister of the Western Region Government, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, have both expressed their condolences over the death of Libya’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad, and the officers accompanying him.
The Western Region Government further announced three days of national mourning, in honor of the late Chief of Staff and his companions.
Rival Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forcesً in Eastern and Southern regions Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has offered his condolences on the death of Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad and his companions.
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Ankara Esenboga Airport in Turkey. According to Turkish media, the private plane reported a technical malfunction after takeoff and contact was lost with it while attempting to return to the airport. CCTV footage emerged on social media showing the blast of the plane at 20:44 Turkey time.
Al-Haddad was negotiating with rival Haftar’s command in the near past. He, as the Supreme Commander of the Army visit Benghazi in April this year to discuss the unification of the military establishment, in addition to the security developments in the country in general. He met his counterpart in the eastern region, Abdel-Razek Al-Nadhouri, for a new round of talks to complete steps to unifying the military institution.
The two sides also discussed other related issues, including unifying the salaries of military members, mechanisms for forming a joint military force, and ways to support the work of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee.
