Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh announced on Tuesday evening the death of the Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army affiliated with the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, following a plane crash while he was returning from a visit to Ankara.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Dbeibeh said, “With profound sorrow and grief, we have received the news of the death of the Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army, Lieutenant General Mohamed Al-Haddad, and his companions.”
The statement added, “This grave loss is a major blow to the nation, the military institution, and all citizens, as we have lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication and were exemplary in discipline, responsibility, and national commitment.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the loss of radio contact with an aircraft carrying the Libyan Army Chief of Staff and four others after it departed from Ankara en route to Tripoli.
In a post on the X platform, the minister said the aircraft took off at 17:10 GMT, before radio contact was lost at 17:52 GMT. He added that the plane had requested an emergency landing over Ankara, but communication could not be re-established thereafter.
