Libyan Army Chief of Staff Mohamed Al-Haddad Killed in Plane Crash Near Ankara
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Mohamed Al-Haddad, the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, was killed in a plane crash near Ankara, Turkey, alongside four companions. The incident occurred on Tuesday when the aircraft, which had departed from Esenboğa Airport en route to Tripoli, crashed approximately 2 kilometers from the village of Kısık Kavak in the Himene region.
Al-Haddad, born in 1966 in Misrata, western Libya, graduated from the Tripoli Military Academy in 1985. Appointed as Chief of Staff in 2020 by then-Presidential Council head Fayez al-Sarraj, he was a prominent figure in efforts to unify Libya’s divided military forces. Prior to this role, he commanded the Central Military Zone and the Al-Halbous Brigade, Misrata’s largest military unit.
Throughout his tenure, Al-Haddad actively supported the unification of Libya’s military, including a landmark meeting with eastern forces’ chief Abdulrazak al-Nadhuri in Sirte just three months after his appointment. He also played a key role in the UN-supervised 5+5 Joint Military Committee, which oversees the implementation of the 2020 ceasefire and military reunification.
Internationally, Al-Haddad worked to strengthen Libya’s military through collaborations with Turkey, Italy, and the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). His leadership during the 2019 defense of Tripoli and management of security crises in western Libya further cemented his reputation.
Libya’s Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, declared three days of mourning and dispatched a delegation to Ankara to investigate the crash. Dbeibeh described the loss as a “great tragedy,” praising the dedication and discipline of the deceased, who included senior military officials and a media photographer.
