A private jet carrying LibyaS chief of staff and four others vanished from radar Tuesday evening following an emergency landing signal near Haymana, Turkey. The Falcon 50 aircraft, registered as 9H-DFJ, was traveling from Ankara to Tripoli when contact was lost, triggering a search and rescue operation coordinated by Turkish authorities. The incident occurs amid ongoing political instability in Libya and raises questions about the future of security operations in the region.
An aircraft issued an emergency landing signal near the Haymana district south of Ankara before losing contact.
A private jet carrying the chief of staff of the Libyan army and four others went missing over Turkey on Tuesday, prompting a search and rescue operation. The incident, which occurred south of Ankara, raises concerns about stability in the region as Libya navigates a complex political landscape.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the loss of contact with the aircraft, a Falcon 50 registered as 9H-DFJ. According to the minister, the plane departed from Esenboga Airport in Ankara at 18:10 local time (18:10 CET) en route to Tripoli.
“Contact was lost at 20:52 local time (18:52 CET) with the private Falcon 50 type aircraft with registration 9H-DFJ, which took off from Esenboga Airport in Ankara towards Tripoli at 20:10 local time (18:10 CET),” Yerlikaya stated on X, formerly known as Twitter. He added that five people were on board, including General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad.
Prior to losing contact, the aircraft sent a signal indicating an intention to make an emergency landing near the Haymana district, south of Ankara, officials said. While authorities have not officially confirmed a crash, Turkish media outlets have circulated images appearing to show an explosion over Haymana, according to Reuters.
The Libyan general had been in Turkey for meetings with Turkish officials, though the purpose of those meetings remains unclear.
The airport in the capital was temporarily closed, and several flights were diverted, NTV reported. As of Wednesday morning, Libya had not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Líbyan Prime Minister has stated that General Muhammad Haddad died, though details surrounding his death remain unconfirmed.
