Libya declares three days of official mourning after the crash of a plane carrying the Chief of Staff and a number of senior officers

صحافة بلادي — Today, the Libyan authorities declared three days of official mourning following a plane crash near the Turkish capital, Ankara, that claimed the lives of the Chief of General Staff of the Libyan Army, Lieutenant General Muhammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, and seven other senior officers and escorts, in addition to the plane’s crew.

Primary sources reported that the plane was on a flight from Ankara, heading towards Tripoli, before its crew reported an emergency electrical fault and requested an emergency landing. However, contact with the plane was lost a few minutes after take-off, and the flight ended with its crash south of the Turkish capital.

The Turkish authorities explained that rescue teams found the wreckage of the plane and bodies at the accident site, and began cordoning off the area and opening a field investigation to precisely determine the circumstances of the accident. The Turkish Public Prosecution also announced the opening of a comprehensive investigation that includes examining the technical aspects of the plane, checking maintenance records, in addition to studying the possible weather factors that accompanied the flight.

For its part, the Libyan government mourned the Chief of Staff and his companions, expressing its deep sorrow and condolences to the families of the victims and the military institution, and announcing that flags would be flown at half-mast during the period of official mourning.

The Libyan authorities are closely following the investigations with the Turkish side, while the coming days are expected to reveal more details about the causes of the incident, which constitutes a great loss to the Libyan military establishment.

Source:Journalism withoutD