Ankara, Dec 24: Libya’s Chief of the General Staff, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, was killed along with four senior military officials when their private jet crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday night.The Dassault Falcon 50 jet, carrying al-Haddad and his delegation after high-level defence talks in Ankara, lost radio contact and attempted an emergency landing before crashing near the Haymana district south of the Turkish capital.
Also killed in the crash were Libya’s ground forces commander, the director of the Military Manufacturing Authority, a military adviser, and a photographer.
Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah described the incident as a “great loss” for the country. The government has declared three days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and official ceremonies suspended.