Libyan Army Chief Killed in Plane Crash After Takeoff in Turkey. A plane crashed after taking off in Turkey, killing the Libyan military chief.
A plane flying from Esenboga Airport in the Turkish capital Ankara to the Libyan capital Tripoli suddenly developed a technical fault.
The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers 30 minutes after takeoff, after which the plane tried to turn back towards Ankara, but the plane crashed before landing.
Turkish security cameras captured the moment a Libyan Falcon 50 private jet crashed after taking off from Ankara Esenboğa Airport, which was carrying Muhammad Ali Ahmad Al-Haddad, Chief of Staff of Libya’s Government of National Unity. pic.twitter.com/w7ez9Z17rJ
— BRADDY (@braddy_Codie05) December 23, 2025
There were 5 people on board the plane, including the Libyan Chief of Staff. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dabiba confirmed the death of the army chief.
ببالغ الحزن والأسى، تلقّينا نبأ وفاة رئيس الأركان العامة للجيش الليبي الفريق أول ركن محمد الحداد ومرافقيه
رئيس أركان القوات البرية الفريق ركن الفيتوري غريبيل
ومدير جهاز التصنيع العسكري العميد محمود القطيوي
ومستشار رئيس الأركان العامة للجيش الليبي الأستاذ محمد العصاوي دياب…— عبدالحميد الدبيبة Abdulhamid AlDabaiba (@Dabaibahamid) December 23, 2025
According to reports, Libyan General Mohammed Ali al-Haddad visited Turkey today where he met with the Turkish Minister of Defense. General Mohammed Ali al-Haddad’s plane crashed while returning from Turkey.
Turkey temporarily closed its airspace after the incident, while search and rescue teams and security agencies have been put on high alert.
On the other hand, the Turkish Interior Minister said that the plane took off at 8:10 pm and lost contact at 8:52 pm. The plane was reported to have made an emergency landing near Haimanah, after which contact with the plane could not be re-established.
It is pertinent to mention that earlier in November, an Indian fighter jet, Tejas, crashed during an air show in Dubai, killing its pilot.
