Condolence Message from Libyan Officials on the Death of the Army Chief in Air Crash
Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, announced on Tuesday evening, December 24, the death of General Mohammed al-Haddad, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, following the crash of the aircraft carrying him and his military delegation near Ankara. Communication with the private “Falcon 50” aircraft was lost on its return flight to Tripoli. In the accident, several senior military officials and a press photographer also lost their lives. Sources close to the Libyan government stated that the Chief of Staff’s advisor, the Commander of the Land Forces, and the Head of the Military Industry Organization were among the victims.
Mohammed al-Menfi, President of the Libyan Presidential Council, issued a condolence message, offering sympathy to the families and the people of Libya for al-Haddad’s passing. Aguila Saleh, Speaker of the House of Representatives based in Benghazi, also released a statement expressing condolences over the incident and wishing patience and strength to the families of the deceased. The Government of National Unity of Libya declared three days of national mourning across the country.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has assigned four prosecutors, under the supervision of the Deputy Chief Prosecutor, to launch a judicial investigation into the crash of the Falcon-50 aircraft. Turkish Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç stated that the investigation will focus on technical causes, flight conditions, and the legal aspects of the incident, and that the results will be announced transparently.
According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the aircraft experienced a technical failure on the evening of Tuesday, December 23, shortly after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport. The pilot, before losing communication, reported a malfunction in the electrical systems. Rescue teams, after extensive operations, discovered the wreckage of the aircraft in a rugged area on the outskirts of Ankara.
