Contact lost with jet carrying Libyan army chief over Ankara, Turkiye says

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Four other passengers on business flight that requested emergency landing after takeoff, Turkish interior minister says.

Radio ‍contact ‍has been lost with a jet ⁠carrying Libya’s army ​chief of staff, Mohammed ‍Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, and four other passengers near the Turkish capital, ‍Ankara, Turkiye’s Ministry of Interior says.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X that the Falcon 50 business jet had taken ​off at ‌8:10pm (17:10 GMT) on Tuesday and radio contact was lost at 8:52pm (17:52 GMT).

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He said the flight, which was travelling from Ankara to Tripoli, ‌had made a request ⁠for an emergency landing while over the Haymana district ‌in Ankara province but no contact was established ‍afterwards.

Flight tracking data showed flights being diverted away from Ankara ​Esenboga Airport.

While officials did not say whether the plane had crashed, footage on Turkish broadcasters showed a flash ‌of light where the jet was said to have lost radio contact.

There was no immediate comment ‍from Libyan officials.

Turkiye’s ‌Ministry of Defence had announced the Libyan chief of staff’s visit ‌to Ankara this ‌week, saying ⁠he had met his Turkish counterpart and other military commanders.

Ankara has close ties with the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli, which it provides with economic and military support.

More to come …