Libyan army Chief of Staff Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad and four others perished in a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Ankara on Tuesday, confirmed Libya’s internationally recognized Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.The Dassault Falcon 50 jet, en route to Tripoli, lost contact at 1752 GMT after requesting an emergency landing over Haymana district; wreckage was found near Kesikkavak village. Victims included the ground forces commander, military manufacturing head, a chief of staff adviser, and a photographer.Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya noted departure at 1710 GMT from Esenboğa Airport; an investigation is underway with no cause yet determined. Libya’s Government of National Unity declared three days of mourning and dispatched a delegation to Ankara; the leased Maltese jet’s ownership and history are under review.Haddad had met Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and others, amid Turkey’s troop extension in Libya and recent “One Libya” policy shift toward eastern engagement, despite regional tensions over maritime and energy deals
