Breaking: Libya's Army Chief Dies in Plane Crash, Details Emerge

• The Libyan army's chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, has been killed in a plane crash
• The country's prime minister, who confirmed this, said the army chief of staff was with four other officials in the aircraft
• Ali Yerlikaya, the Turkish Interior Minister, disclosed that the plane took off from the Esenboga Airport in Ankara at 1710 GMT en route to Tripoli

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Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, the Libyan army's chief of staff, has reportedly died in a plane crash, following his departure from Turkey's capital, Ankara.

The country's prime minister, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, confirmed this, adding that there were four other officials on the same jet with the late army chief.

The prime minister's statement reads in part:

"This followed a tragic and painful incident while they were returning from an official trip from the Turkish city of Ankara. This grave loss is a great loss for the nation, for the military institution, and for all the people."

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Turkey: List of casualties in fresh plane crash

Reuters reported that the prime minister explained that the aircraft was also carrying the commander of Libya's ground forces, the director of the country's military manufacturing authority, an adviser to the chief of staff and a photographer to the office of the chief of staff.

Speaking on the incident, Ali Yerlikaya, the Turkish Interior Minister, disclosed that the plane took off from the Esenboga Airport in Ankara at 1710 GMT en route to Tripoli. He disclosed that the radio contact was lost at about 1752 GMT. He further explained that the wreckage of the plane was found near the Kesikkavak village in the Haymana district in Ankara.

The minister further explained that the jet, a Dassault Falcon 50-type, had requested an emergency landing when it was over Haymana, but there was no established contact. The reason behind the crash was not immediately known.

Minister Yilmaz Tunc, the Turkish Justice Minister, said that the authorities have commenced an investigation into the crash.

Tripoli speaks on Libyan army chief's death

The Government of National Unity, based in Tripoli, said that the prime minister has directed the Minister of Defence to send an official team to Ankara to follow up on proceedings.

The state minister of political affairs and communication for the GNU, Walid Ellafi, said broadcaster Libya Alahrar explained that it was yet to be clear on when the report on the crash would be ready, but disclosed that the jet was a leased Maltese aircraft.

He disclosed that there was no "sufficient information regarding its ownership or technical history" with the officials, but assured that an investigation would be carried out.

Turkish plane crashes in Georgia

Legit.ng earlier reported that the 20 soldiers on board a Turkish C-130 military cargo aircraft, which crashed in Georgia, close to its border with Azerbaijan, have been confirmed dead. The Turkish Defence Ministry disclosed the development after investigators observed the cause of the incident at the scene.

The Turkish Defence Ministry confirmed the development on Wednesday, following the crash of the plane, which took off from the Azerbaijani city of Ganja, which was nearby.