Libya holds funeral for military officials killed in plane crash in Turkiye

Libya's army chief of staff Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad poses for a photo in Tripoli, Libya, Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad, File)

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya on Saturday held a military funeral for the western Libya’s military chief and four of his officers who died in a plane crash in Turkiye.

The bodies arrived at Tripoli International Airport in caskets draped with Libyan flags and were carried in a funeral procession with soldiers holding their photographs.

The private jet with Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officers and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Ankara, Turkiye’s capital, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane but the investigation is still ongoing in coordination with Turkiye.

Libya plunged into chaos after the country’s 2011 uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. The country is governed by Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah’s government in Tripoli and the administration of Prime Minister Ossama Hammad in the east.

Dbeibah praised al-Haddad during a funeral speech for organizing the military “despite overwhelming darkness and outlaw groups.”

Al-Haddad played a crucial role in the ongoing, UN-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s military, which has split, much like Libya’s institutions.

“Our martyrs weren’t just military leaders but also statesmen who were wise and disciplined and carried responsibility and believed that the national Libyan army is the country’s shield and ... that building institutions is the real path toward a stable and secure Libya,” Dbeibah said.

The burial will take place on Sunday in Misrata, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of Tripoli, officials said.

The crash happened as the delegation was on its way back to Tripoli after defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation.

A funeral ceremony was also held at Murted airfield base near Ankara, attended by the Turkish military chief and the defense minister.

Military chief Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu also accompanied the bodies on the plane to Libya, Turkish public broadcaster TRT reported.

Turkiye has been the main backer of Libya’s government in the west, but has recently taken steps to improve ties with the eastern-based government.

Yousef Mourad, The Associated Press