Libyan Chief of Staff al-Haddad was killed in a plane crash in Turkey. Rescue work at the disaster site continues with the participation of Turkish and Libyan teams.
Turkish authorities on Wednesday obtained cockpit voice recorders and flight data from a private plane that crashed near Ankara on Tuesday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. According to the Libyan government, the Chief of the Libyan General Staff, Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, was killed in the accident along with four other Libyan officials. TASR took over the report from the DPA agency.
- The plane crashed near Ankara on Tuesday evening.
- Leading Libyan officials were killed in the accident.
- The Turkish authorities are investigating the cause of the accident on an area of 3 km².
- The Libyan delegation was returning from a meeting in Ankara.
- Turkey supports the Libyan government recognized by the United Nations.
Yerlikaya told reporters in Ankara that an investigation was underway to “fully clarify” the cause of the crash. According to him, the debris from the plane is located on an area of about three square kilometers.
Extensive rescue operation
More than 400 workers and more than 100 aerial and ground vehicles, including drones, are involved in the rescue and forensic work, the minister confirmed. He also added that a Libyan team had also arrived in Ankara to help with the investigation.
The Falcon 50 aircraft reported a technical problem shortly after taking off from Ankara, Turkey, to the Libyan capital Tripoli late on Tuesday, Yerlikaya explained. The plane lost contact with Turkish air traffic controllers about 40 minutes after takeoff and crashed in the Haymana district south of the Turkish capital.
Turkey’s key role
The Libyan delegation was returning from a meeting in Ankara with the Turkish defense minister and army chief. DPA reminds that Turkey is a key supporter of the Libyan government, which is also officially recognized by the UN.
According to the AP agency, Al-Haddad was the highest military official in western Libya. He played a key role in the ongoing UN-brokered efforts to unify the Libyan army. The military in Libya is divided, as are the institutions there.
