This handout photograph taken and released by the Turkish Defence Ministry on December 23, 2025, shows Lybia’s Chief of the General Staff, General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad posing posing during his meeting with Turkey’s Defence Minister in Ankara.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah has confirmed the death of Libyan military chief Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and four others in a plane crash in Turkey on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) evening.
The Prime Minister said in a statement on Facebook that the “tragic accident” took place as the Libyan delegation was “returning from an official trip to Ankara.” He called it a “great loss” to Libya.
Officials in Libya said contact with the plane was completely lost about half hour into the flight because of a technical malfunction.
Al-Hadad was the top military commander in western Libya. He played a crucial role the UN-brokered ongoing efforts to unify Libya’s military, which has split much like Libya’s institutions.
Security camera footage aired on local television stations showed the night sky over Haymana suddenly lit up by what appeared to be an explosion.
The Libyan military chief was in Ankara, where he met with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and other officials.
Following the reports, the airport in Ankara was closed and several flights were diverted to other locations, private NTV news channel reported.
Published – December 24, 2025 02:34 am IST
