Army chief of Libya’s Tripoli government and four other senior military officials were killed Tuesday in a plane crash after take-off from Turkey’s capital, Ankara. Three crew members were also killed in the crash. There were no survivors.
The Libyan delegation was in Ankara for high-level defense talks aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and the four top officers, saying the tragic accident took place as the delegation was returning home.
According to Libyan authorities, the plane, a Falcon 50 type business jet, experienced a technical malfunction. Shortly after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboga airport, the plane requested an emergency landing near Haymana after an electrical deficiency. Turkish air traffic controllers then lost contact with the plane while it was on its emergency landing descent.
