Somalia offers condolences to Libya after army chief, 7 others killed in plane crash

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Somalia expressed its condolences to Libya on Wednesday following the death of Libyan army chief Gen. Mohamed Ali Al-Haddad, along with four senior officers and three crew members, in a plane crash in Ankara, Türkiye.

“Somalia reaffirms its steadfast solidarity with the Libyan Government of National Unity and the families of the deceased, sharing in their profound grief and mourning,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

It said Somalia prays for the souls of the deceased, wishing their families and the Libyan people “patience, resilience, and comfort during this difficult time.”

The Falcon 50-type business jet crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport en route to Tripoli, the Libyan capital.

The plane was found about 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) south of Kesikkavak village in Ankara’s Haymana district.

Search operations continued through the night despite heavy rain and fog, and officials are monitoring efforts from a mobile coordination center set up by Türkiye's disaster agency AFAD.