Libya is entering a period of profound uncertainty following the death of its top military commander, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, who was killed when his aircraft went down shortly after takeoff in central Turkiye.
The crash, which occurred Tuesday evening near Ankara, claimed the lives of all eight people on board. Among the deceased were four senior Libyan military officials and three crew members. The news has cast a long shadow over Libya, a nation where al-Haddad was uniquely viewed as a bridge between warring factions.
According to Turkish communications officials, the 37-year-old Dassault Falcon 50 jet departed Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 17:17 GMT. The General had just concluded high-level talks with Turkish defense officials aimed at stabilizing his country’s fractured military landscape.
Within sixteen minutes of departure, the flight crew radioed air traffic control reporting a critical electrical failure. They declared an emergency and attempted to turn back to the airport. However, the radar signal flickered and vanished at 17:36 GMT as the plane descended toward the Haymana district.
Search and rescue teams, numbering over 400 personnel, braved the terrain near Kesikkavak village to locate the wreckage. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that both black boxes have been recovered. A team of Libyan investigators has already arrived at the site to assist Turkish prosecutors in determining if the age of the aircraft or other factors led to the catastrophe.
The loss of al-Haddad is more than a military casualty; it is a political earthquake. Appointed in 2020, he was the face of the UN-recognized Government of National Unity’s (GNU) efforts to professionalize a military long dominated by autonomous militias.
Unlike many of his peers, al-Haddad commanded respect across the country’s deep geographical divide. Even Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the rival eastern administration who has frequently clashed with Tripoli, issued a rare statement of “deep sorrow,” acknowledging the General’s stature.
In Tripoli, the mood is one of somber reflection. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah declared three days of national mourning, describing the General as a man of “national commitment” who refused to let armed groups dictate government policy.
The vacuum left by al-Haddad’s death poses an immediate challenge for the GNU. He was a vital link to the powerful militias of Misrata, his hometown, whose support is essential for the government’s survival. Analysts warn that without his charismatic leadership, the fragile cohesion in western Libya could begin to fray.
General Salah Eddine al-Namrush has been named acting chief of staff, but officials privately admit that finding a permanent successor capable of navigating Libya’s complex tribal and military alliances will be a monumental task.
The other victims identified by Libyan authorities include Ground Forces Chief General al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Brigadier General Mahmoud al-Qatawi, military adviser Muhammad al-Asawi Diab, and photographer Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.
As flags fly at half-staff across Libya today, the investigation in Ankara continues. For a nation still struggling to find its footing fourteen years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, the loss of its most prominent “unifier” is a setback it can ill afford.
