The military chief of Libya's western-based government and four other senior officials have been killed in a plane crash in Turkey, dealing a severe blow to the conflict-ridden nation's fragile stability.
A Fatal Return Journey
General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al Haddad, the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, was among the five victims confirmed by Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibeh. The group was returning from an official trip to the Turkish capital, Ankara, when the tragedy struck on Tuesday, 23 December 2025.
The Turkish government reported that wreckage from a small private jet, a Falcon 50 type, was located near Haymana, south of Ankara. The aircraft had taken off from Esenboga airport at approximately 8.30pm local time. Shortly after departure, it issued an emergency landing signal before all communication was lost.
Key Figures Lost in the Tragedy
Prime Minister Dbeibeh identified the other victims in a statement posted on social media platform X. The dead include:
- General Haddad's adviser, Mohammed al Asawi Diab.
- General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Chief of Staff of Libya's Ground Forces.
- General Mahmoud al Qatawi, Director of the Military Industrialisation Organisation.
- Military photographer Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.
Dbeibeh described the incident as a "grave affliction" and a "great loss to the homeland," praising the men for their service, sincerity, and national commitment.
Blow to Unification and Regional Stability
The crash has profound implications for Libya's future. General Haddad was a pivotal figure in ongoing United Nations-backed attempts to unify Libya's fractured military. The country has been split between rival administrations in the east and west since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.
Dbeibeh leads the internationally recognised government in Tripoli in the west. His administration is opposed by a military dictatorship in the east, commanded by former Gaddafi officer Khalifa Haftar. Haddad, as the top military commander in western Libya, was central to diplomatic and military efforts to bridge this divide.
On the day of the crash, General Haddad had held meetings with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and his Turkish counterpart, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, alongside other senior Turkish military commanders, according to Turkey's defence ministry.
The loss of such a high-ranking delegation in a single incident creates a significant leadership vacuum and casts uncertainty over the future of Libya's fragile political and security negotiations.
