Harmony Jets Crash: Libyan Chief Killed in Tragic Loss

Harmony Jets Flight 185 crashed near Ankara, killing all eight people aboard including Libyan Army chief Mohammed al-Haddad. The loss of Libya's top military commander during an already fragile political situation deepened uncertainty over the country's security future and control of its armed forces. The crash occurred on December 24, 2025, as the private charter aircraft was approaching Ankara's Esenboga Airport. The aircraft, carrying al-Haddad and a delegation of Libyan military officials, was making a diplomatic visit to Turkey, one of the key foreign powers with military influence in Libya's complex political landscape. The crash cause was under investigation, with Turkish and Libyan authorities examining weather conditions, mechanical factors, and the aircraft's maintenance history. Al-Haddad had served as chief of staff of the Libyan National Army, the military force aligned with the Tobruk-based government in eastern Libya, which had been competing for legitimacy with the internationally recognized government in Tripoli since the 2014 civil war. His death removed a central figure in Libya's military hierarchy and raised immediate questions about the chain of command and the continuation of ongoing military operations and ceasefire arrangements. Turkey, which had supported the Tripoli government with troops and military equipment during the 2019-2020 fighting, was a controversial but important interlocutor for the Tobruk government's military leadership. The visit itself signaled a potential diplomatic opening that was cut short by the crash. Libya's political situation, already one of the most fragmented in the Middle East, became further destabilized by the power vacuum al-Haddad's death created within the eastern military structure.