Plane carrying Libyan army chief of staff crashes in Turkey
Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad (Photo: Hürriyet)

An airplane carrying the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Armed Forces, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, disappeared from radar in Turkey. About reported minister of the Interior of Turkey Ali Erlikaya.

According to him, at about 20:52 (19:52 Kyiv time), contact was lost with the Falcon 50 business jet, which took off from Ankara Airport at 20:10 (19:10 Kyiv time) for Tripoli.

The plane with the tail number 9H-DFJ requested an emergency landing near Haimana, but later lost contact with it.

"There are five passengers on board, including the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Armed Forces, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad. The public will be informed about the developments," Mr. Erlikaya said.

Subsequently, he reportedreported that the wreckage of the plane was found by law enforcement officers 2 km south of the village of Kesikkavak in the Hayman district.

How to reports Al-Monitor quoted an unnamed official as saying that the plane crashed about 30 minutes after takeoff. Search and rescue operations are currently underway to locate the plane.

ADDITIONAL at 23:20. Minister of Justice of Turkey Yilmaz Tunc saidthe Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the crash of the plane that took off from Ankara Esenboga Airport and crashed in the Hayman district. Four prosecutors under the leadership of the Deputy Chief Prosecutor have been involved.

Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Unity Abdulhamid Dibeibeh expressed condolences and named the other victims.

"It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we have received the news that the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, Muhammad El Haddad, the Commander of the Army, Fayturi El Gribil, the Commander of the Military Industrial Corporation, Brigadier General Mahmoud El Katawi, and the Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Muhammad Mahkoub, have been killed in a tragic accident," he wrote.