The head of Libya's armed forces Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad and four other high ranking military officials died late Tuesday (Dec 23) when their business jet crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara. The others on the aircraft are identified as Mohammed Al-Assawi, as well as Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Major General Mohammed Jumaa, and their escort, Mohammed Al-Mahjoub. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the Ankara chief prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the incident.<h2>Here's what happened&nbsp;</h2>Officials in Turkey's capital Ankara and Tripoli said that Haddad's jet took off from Ankara's Esenboga airport at 1710 GMT, but soon, contact could not be established with it. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the wreckage of their Falcon 50 aircraft was located by Turkish security personnel in the Haymana district near Ankara.&nbsp;Three crew members were also killed. Earlier on Tuesday, Haddad held talks in Ankara with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler, and his Turkish counterpart, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. He was then returning to Tripoli.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Turkish security cameras captured the moment a Libyan Falcon 50 private jet crashed after taking off from Ankara Esenboğa Airport, which was carrying Muhammad Ali Ahmad Al-Haddad, Chief of Staff of Libya’s Government of National Unity. <a href="https://t.co/w7ez9Z17rJ">pic.twitter.com/w7ez9Z17rJ</a>&mdash; BRADDY (@braddy_Codie05) <a href="https://twitter.com/braddy_Codie05/status/2003578882516242457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Briefing about the incident, Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said on his Facebook page: "It is with deep sadness and great sorrow that we learnt of the death of the Libyan army's chief of general staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad." He added that "contact was lost" with the jet, 42 minutes after taking off. According to him, the aircraft issued an emergency landing notification near Haymana, 74 kilometres (45 miles) from Ankara, but contact could not be reestablished. News agency AFP reported quoting a senior Turkish official that the plane requested an emergency landing because of electrical failure 16 minutes after it took off.&nbsp;

AFP quoted a local in Haymana saying, "I heard a big sound of explosion. It was like a bomb," Burhan Cicek said. Libya's ambassador to Ankara was also at the site. Walid Ellafi, Libyan minister of state for communication and political affairs said that Turkish government informed his government of the incident. "We received a call from the Turkish authorities immediately after the incident, reporting that contact with the aircraft had been lost. All contact with the aircraft was lost about half an hour after takeoff from Ankara airport due to a technical problem. We are awaiting the conclusions of the Turkish investigation, and it appears that the plane crashed.," the minister said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

Libya’s army chief Mohammed al-Haddad and four senior military officials died when their Falcon 50 jet crashed near Ankara after takeoff. The aircraft reported an electrical failure and requested an emergency landing. Turkish authorities have launched an investigation.

The head of Libya's armed forces Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad and four other high ranking military officials died late Tuesday (Dec 23) when their business jet crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara. The others on the aircraft are identified as Mohammed Al-Assawi, as well as Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Major General Mohammed Jumaa, and their escort, Mohammed Al-Mahjoub. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the Ankara chief prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the incident. Here's what happened Officials in Turkey's capital Ankara and Tripoli said that Haddad's jet took off from Ankara's Esenboga airport at 1710 GMT, but soon, contact could not be established with it. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the wreckage of their Falcon 50 aircraft was located by Turkish security personnel in the Haymana district near Ankara. Three crew members were also killed. Earlier on Tuesday, Haddad held talks in Ankara with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler, and his Turkish counterpart, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. He was then returning to Tripoli.

Libya’s army chief Mohammed al-Haddad and four senior military officials died when their Falcon 50 jet crashed near Ankara after takeoff. The aircraft reported an electrical failure and requested an emergency landing. Turkish authorities have launched an investigation.

Libya's army chief, 7 others killed in jet crash near Turkey; video captures chilling moment

Turkey said on Tuesday it lost contact with a Falcon 50-type private jet with five passengers onboard, including Libya's chief of staff, after it took off from the capital Ankara. "Contact was lost at 20:52 local time (1752 GMT) with a Falcon 50-type business jet, tail number 9H-DFJ, departing from Ankara's Esenboga airport bound for Tripoli at 20:10 local time," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement posted on X.&nbsp;The five passengers onboard included the Libyan chief of general staff, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, he added. The aircraft issued an emergency landing notification near Haymana -- 74 kilometres (45 miles) from Ankara, but contact could not be reestablished after that, the minister said.&nbsp;"Authorities are monitoring the situation," he added. Several Turkish media broadcast images showing the sky lit up by an explosion not far from the supposed location where the aircraft sent a signal. Turkey has close ties with the UN-backed government in Tripoli, to which it provides economic and military support.

The aircraft issued an emergency landing notification near Haymana -- 74 kilometres (45 miles) from Ankara, but contact could not be reestablished after that, the minister said.



Turkey said on Tuesday it lost contact with a Falcon 50-type private jet with five passengers onboard, including Libya's chief of staff, after it took off from the capital Ankara. "Contact was lost at 20:52 local time (1752 GMT) with a Falcon 50-type business jet, tail number 9H-DFJ, departing from Ankara's Esenboga airport bound for Tripoli at 20:10 local time," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement posted on X. The five passengers onboard included the Libyan chief of general staff, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, he added. The aircraft issued an emergency landing notification near Haymana -- 74 kilometres (45 miles) from Ankara, but contact could not be reestablished after that, the minister said. "Authorities are monitoring the situation," he added. Several Turkish media broadcast images showing the sky lit up by an explosion not far from the supposed location where the aircraft sent a signal. Turkey has close ties with the UN-backed government in Tripoli, to which it provides economic and military support.

The aircraft issued an emergency landing notification near Haymana -- 74 kilometres (45 miles) from Ankara, but contact could not be reestablished after that, the minister said.&nbsp;

‘Contact lost with private jet carrying Libya's chief of staff’: Turkey

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Libya's army chief, 7 others killed in jet crash near Turkey; video captures chilling moment

‘Contact lost with private jet carrying Libya's chief of staff’: Turkey