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Tragic Plane Crash Claims Lives of Libyan Military Officials, Black Boxes Recovered
ANKARA, Turkey – Search teams in Turkey have successfully recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a private jet that crashed on Tuesday, killing all eight people on board, including Western Libya’s military chief, Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad. Efforts to retrieve the victims’ remains are ongoing amidst challenging conditions.
The Falcon 50-type business jet, carrying five high-ranking Libyan military officials and three crew members, departed from Ankara’s Esenboga airport and was en route to Tripoli following defense talks aimed at strengthening military cooperation between Turkey and Libya. Libyan officials attribute the crash to a technical malfunction on the aircraft.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that the wreckage is scattered across a three-square-kilometer area near the village of Kesikkavak, approximately 45 miles south of Ankara, making recovery operations difficult. Authorities from the Turkish forensic medicine authority are diligently working to recover and identify the remains. A 22-person delegation, including five family members, arrived from Libya on Wednesday to assist in the investigation.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the fatalities on Tuesday, describing the incident as a “tragic accident” and a “great loss” for Libya. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed his condolences to Prime Minister Dbeibah and expressed sorrow over the deaths, reiterating Turkey’s solidarity with Libya. “An investigation has been launched into this tragic incident that has deeply saddened us, and our ministries will provide information about its progress,” Erdogan stated.
Gen. al-Haddad was a pivotal figure in unifying Libya’s military, which, like other national institutions, has been fractured. The other four military officials who perished in the crash were Gen.
Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, head of Libya’s ground forces; Brig. Gen.
Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, who led the military manufacturing authority; Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, adviser to the chief of staff; and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer. The identities of the three crew members have not yet been released.
Turkish officials stated that air traffic control lost contact with the plane about 40 minutes after takeoff. The pilot had reported an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing, with the aircraft being redirected back to Esenboga. However, the plane disappeared from radar during its descent.
Libya has declared a three-day period of national mourning, with flags flying at half-staff at all state institutions. Search and recovery efforts at the crash site were intensified on Wednesday following a night of heavy rain and fog.
Gendarmerie police have cordoned off the area, and the Turkish disaster management agency, AFAD, has established a mobile coordination center. Specialized vehicles, including tracked ambulances, have been deployed to navigate the muddy terrain.
Four prosecutors have been assigned to lead the investigation, with Turkish search and recovery teams comprising 408 personnel.