Libya’s Army Chief of Staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, and four other officials were killed in an air crash near Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah described the incident as a tragic accident and said it happened while the officials were returning from an official visit to Turkey.
According to the Prime Minister, the aircraft crashed on Tuesday, killing all those on board. The victims included the Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces, Al-Fitouri Gharibil; the Director of the Military Manufacturing Authority, Mahmoud Al-Qatawi; an adviser to al-Haddad, Muhammad Al-Asawi Diab; and a military photographer, Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.
The crash has shocked Libya’s political and military leadership. Condolences were expressed to the families of those who died, and officials said further details about the cause of the crash would be shared after an investigation.