Plane crash near Ankara kills five, including Libyan army chief

ANKARA: A plane crash near Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, has killed five people, including Libya’s army chief, Turkish and Libyan officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The aircraft departed from Ankara Esenboğa Airport at 8:10 PM local time on a flight bound for Tripoli, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister. Contact with air traffic control was lost at approximately 8:52 PM, prompting an emergency response.

Wreckage of the plane was later discovered in the Himana district near Ankara. Turkish media reported that the aircraft experienced a technical fault shortly after takeoff and attempted to return to Ankara, but crashed before it could land.

Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdulhamid al-Dabiba, confirmed that the Libyan chief of staff was among those killed. The victim was identified as General Mohammed Ali al-Haddad, who had been visiting Turkey and had met with the Turkish Minister of Defense during his trip. The crash occurred as the delegation was returning to Libya.

Following the incident, Turkish authorities temporarily closed the country’s airspace as a precaution. Search and rescue teams, along with security agencies, were placed on high alert and dispatched to the crash site.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. Turkish officials have not yet released further details about the aircraft or the circumstances leading to the accident.