KEY POINTS
-
Libya’s army chief of staff, Mohammed al-Haddad, was killed in a plane crash in Turkey on Tuesday.
-
The aircraft went down shortly after departing Ankara, where the delegation had been on an official visit.
-
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said other officials and a photographer also died, praising their service to the nation.
The chief of staff of Libya’s army Mohammed al-Haddad was killed Tuesday after a plane crash in Turkey shortly after takeoff from the capital, Ankara.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Gen. Mohammed al-Haddad and other military officials in a post on his Facebook page. He said the group had been visiting Ankara.
“It is with deep sadness and great sorrow that we learnt of the death of the Libyan army’s chief of general staff,” Dbeibah wrote.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the country’s gendarmerie located the wreckage of the aircraft. The crash occurred soon after it departed.
Haddad had served as the army’s chief of general staff since August 2020. He was originally appointed by former Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
Dbeibah said the crash also killed other senior military officials and a photographer traveling with the delegation. He described their deaths as a “tragic loss.”
“We have lost men who served their country with loyalty and dedication,” the prime minister said. He added they were “examples of discipline, responsibility and national commitment.”
The incident is a blow to the internationally recognized government in Tripoli. It comes as Libya remains divided between rival administrations in the east and west.
