Libya’s army chief was killed in a plane crash whereas returning house from an official go to to Turkey on Tuesday, the nation’s prime minister mentioned.
Lt. Gen. Mohamed Al-Haddad was killed together with 4 of his companions in a “tragic accident” whereas on flight house to Tripoli from an official go to to Ankara, Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah mentioned in a press release.
“With great sadness and sorrow, we have received the news of the death” of Al-Haddad and 4 of his companions, al-Dbeibah added. The prime minister, who heads a UN-backed Government of National Unity, provided condolences to the households of the victims, calling the loss a tragedy for the nation and the army establishment.
Al-Dbeibah recognized the 4 others killed as: Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces Maj. Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghreibel; Director of the Military Manufacturing Authority Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatioui; adviser to the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, Mohamed Al-Asawi Diab; and media workplace photographer Mohamed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.
Turkish broadcaster NCSTurk reported that the plane had a crew of three, all of whom have been French nationals.
Turkish authorities reported earlier that they’d misplaced contact with a enterprise jet carrying Al-Haddad and others shortly after it departed Ankara on Tuesday night.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya mentioned airport authorities misplaced contact at 8:52 p.m. native time with a Falcon 50 enterprise jet, tail quantity 9H-DFJ, which had taken off from Ankara Esenboga Airport at 8:10 p.m. en path to Tripoli.
“An emergency landing notification was received from the aircraft near Haymana; however, contact with the aircraft could not be re-established afterward,” Yerlikaya mentioned. Haymana is positioned about 50 miles (81 kilometers) southwest of Ankara.
In a later assertion, Yerlikaya mentioned “the wreckage” of the plane has been reached by the Turkish army forces about 2 km south of the Kesikkavak Village in Haymana District.
NCSTurk reported that the jet had declared {an electrical} emergency and requested to return to the airport earlier than communication was misplaced.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc mentioned an investigation has been launched into the crash, which is able to look into “all its aspects and with great care.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkey’s Armed Forces mentioned Al-Haddad had been formally obtained in Ankara with a army ceremony as an official visitor. He held bilateral talks with Turkish Chief of the General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu following the ceremony.