Tripoli / Misrata, December 28, 2025 (Agencies) – Libya on Sunday laid to rest its army chief of staff, General Mohammed al-Haddad, following days of national mourning, as the country continues to grapple with political divisions and the loss of several senior military leaders in a deadly aircraft crash.
Al-Haddad, along with his senior adviser Mohamed al-Essawi and military cameraman Mohamed al-Mahjoub, was transported to his hometown of Misrata on Saturday evening for burial. The three were among five prominent military figures killed when their aircraft crashed in central Turkiye earlier this week.
Also killed in the crash were the commander of Libya’s army land forces, General Fetouri Ghrebil, and the head of military manufacturing, Mahmoud al-Gedewi. Their remains were transferred to their respective hometowns for burial ceremonies.
The officers had been returning to Libya from Ankara after meetings with Turkish defence officials. The crash occurred just a day after the Turkish parliament voted to extend the presence of Turkish troops in Libya, part of ongoing efforts to strengthen military cooperation between Turkiye and the internationally recognised government in Tripoli.
Turkish authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the crash was likely caused by a technical failure. A Libyan military committee travelled to Ankara on Wednesday to assist with the investigation. A committee member told Al Jazeera that both countries agreed to transfer the aircraft’s flight recorder to a neutral country to ensure a full and transparent investigation.
A Turkish military ceremony was held in honour of the deceased officers early on Saturday, after which their bodies were flown back to Libya. However, arrangements for burial ceremonies became contentious, reflecting Libya’s ongoing political fragmentation and disputes over authority.
The Tripoli-based government is overseen by the Presidential Council, a three-member body designated as the supreme military authority under the Libyan Political Agreement. Libya’s rival eastern authorities, led by renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, do not recognise the council, despite the eastern-based parliament having signed the agreement.
General al-Haddad was widely regarded as a unifying figure and a man of peace, respected even by former adversaries. He played a key role in resisting Haftar’s 2019 offensive on Tripoli, during which Haftar’s forces reached the outskirts of the capital. Under al-Haddad’s leadership, government forces regained control of western Libya and pushed Haftar’s forces back to the east.
Al-Haddad also helped pave the way for the nationwide ceasefire agreement signed in 2020, which brought a fragile halt to large-scale fighting. In a statement, Khalifa Haftar said he was “deeply saddened” by al-Haddad’s death and offered condolences to his family.
The loss of al-Haddad has raised concerns about leadership within Libya’s military establishment. The Presidential Council has appointed his deputy, General Salah al-Namroush, as interim chief of staff, but officials acknowledge that finding a permanent successor will be a difficult task in the current political climate.