Hundreds mourn top military commanders killed in Ankara plane crash

Hundreds of people packed a stadium in the Libyan city of Misrata on Sunday for the funeral of three top military officers killed in a plane crash last week.  

Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah and other military and political leaders were among the mourners as the coffins of General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and two others were brought into the stadium.  

Ceremonies were also held in Ankara and Tripoli on Saturday.  

The men died alongside another military officer and three crew members when their private jet crashed after take off just south of the Turkish capital on Tuesday.   

Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane but the investigation is still ongoing in coordination with Turkey. 

Divided nation

Al-Haddad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a central role in United Nations-backed efforts to unify Libya’s military.  

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. 

Turkey 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.