A private jet carrying Libya’s Chief of General Staff, Mohammed al-Haddad, crashed in Turkish airspace after reporting an electrical malfunction, Turkish officials confirmed. The aircraft had requested emergency landing clearance before losing contact and going down. All eight people on board, including al-Haddad, four Libyan military officials, and three crew members, were killed.

Turkish Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun stated that pilots had notified air traffic control of the issue moments before the crash. Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah confirmed al-Haddad’s death, calling it a tragic loss for the nation and its armed forces. Among the victims were senior military figures such as General al-Fitouri Gharibiel and Brigadier General Mahmoud al-Katawi.

The Libyan delegation had been traveling to Ankara for high-level defense talks aimed at strengthening bilateral military cooperation. Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, with preliminary findings pointing to a possible electrical systems failure.