Ankara, Turkey – A plane carrying Libyan Chief of Staff, General Mohammad al-Haddad, has reportedly crashed near Ankara, Turkey. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, according to initial reports.
Early reports indicated that a Falcon 50 aircraft, believed to be carrying General al-Haddad, lost contact with air traffic control while flying over the Turkish capital. The Turkish Minister of Interior later confirmed the loss of communication with a plane carrying the Libyan Chief of Staff of the Tripoli-based government, along with four other individuals.
Flight tracking data suggests that flights were being diverted away from Ankara Airport following the incident. While details remain scarce, Libyan media outlets have reported that Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh has formed a crisis cell to liaise with Turkish authorities regarding the situation.
Turkish media sources indicate that the plane, carrying General al-Haddad, crashed en route from Ankara to Tripoli. The fate of the passengers remains unknown at this time. Search and rescue operations are underway.
The incident follows a series of meetings held earlier on Tuesday in Ankara between General al-Haddad and Turkish officials, including Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Discussions reportedly focused on military cooperation between Libya and Turkey.
DZWatch is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they become available.
