Libyan Military’s Chief of Staff and 4 Others Are Killed in Plane Crash in Turkey

The internationally recognized government of Libya confirmed the deaths of Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, the army chief of staff, and other officers flying home after a meeting in Turkey.A photograph released by the Turkish Defense Ministry showing the Libyan Army chief of the general staff, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday.Credit...Turkish Defense MinistryDec. 23, 2025Updated 4:45 p.m. ETLibya’s highest-ranking army officer, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, and four other Libyan military officials were killed in a plane crash in Turkey on Tuesday night, according to the Libyan prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeiba.General al-Haddad, the Libyan military’s chief of staff, had been meeting in Turkey with his counterpart, the Turkish defense minister and other military officials on Tuesday, the Turkish military said. He later left in a private jet to return to Libya, according to Turkey’s Interior Ministry.In the evening, Turkish officials said that the plane he and four other passengers had been traveling in lost radio contact shortly after taking off from Ankara, the Turkish capital.The wreckage of the aircraft, a Falcon 50 jet, was found in the Haymana district of Turkey, about 40 miles southwest of central Ankara. Turkish television on Tuesday night showed crews searching the site, where pieces of the plane were scattered all around.There was no immediate statement from Libyan or Turkish officials about the cause of the crash.General al-Haddad held the highest position within the Libyan armed forces under the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, the capital. Appointed in 2020, he led efforts to organize and unify the Libyan Army under the authority of the official state institutions.But Libya has been divided for more than a decade between rival factions that have battled intermittently for control, and much of the country is controlled by a rival government and militia, based in Tobruk.Also on the plane with General al-Haddad were Maj. Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghribel, chief of staff of the land forces; Brig. Mahmoud Al-Qattouwi, director of the Military Manufacturing Authority; Mohamed Al-Asawi Diab, adviser to the chief of the general staff of the Libyan Army; and Mohamed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a photographer at the news media office of the chief of the general staff.Turkish prosecutors have begun an investigation into the crash, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on social media.The chairman of the Libyan presidential council, Mohamed Menfi, said on social media late Tuesday that the deaths represented a significant loss for the Libyan military, and for the nation as a whole. Mr. Menfi added that those who died had dedicated their lives to serving the country and had placed Libya’s stability and its interests above all else.Libya’s Government of National Unity announced that the country would officially observe three days of mourning to honor those who had died in the crash.Ephrat Livni is a Times reporter covering breaking news around the world. She is based in Washington.Şafak Timur covers Turkey and is based in Istanbul.SKIP Site IndexNewsHome PageU.S.WorldPoliticsNew YorkEducationSportsBusinessTechScienceWeatherThe Great ReadObituariesHeadwayVisual InvestigationsThe MagazineArtsBook ReviewBest Sellers Book ListDanceMoviesMusicPop CultureTelevisionTheaterVisual ArtsLifestyleHealthWellFoodRestaurant ReviewsLoveTravelStyleFashionReal EstateT MagazineOpinionToday's OpinionColumnistsEditorialsGuest EssaysOp-DocsLettersSunday OpinionOpinion VideoOpinion AudioMoreAudioGamesCookingWirecutterThe AthleticJobsVideoGraphicsTrendingLive EventsCorrectionsReader CenterTimesMachineThe Learning NetworkSchool of The NYTinEducationAccountSubscribeManage My AccountHome DeliveryGift SubscriptionsGroup SubscriptionsGift ArticlesEmail NewslettersNYT LicensingReplica EditionTimes Store