Tripoli web desk
After days of mourning in Libya, Army Chief General Mohamed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad and four other senior military officers were laid to rest in their hometown of Misrata. General Al-Haddad was posthumously promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.
The fallen officers were honored with full military honors at a military base in southern Tripoli. Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed Al-Menfi announced that all the martyrs would be promoted posthumously, including General Al-Haddad.
Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh described Field Marshal Al-Haddad as a steadfast pillar of state security and stability. He confirmed that investigations into the plane crash, which occurred on December 24, are ongoing with Turkey’s cooperation. The aircraft carrying the army chief and four others had departed from Ankara, Turkey, before it crashed.
The bodies of General Al-Haddad, his senior advisor Mohamed Al-Aswi, and military cameraman Mohamed Al-Mahjoub were returned to Misrata on Saturday evening, where a collective funeral prayer was held on Sunday. The officers had been returning from meetings with Turkish defense officials. The incident coincided with the Turkish parliament’s approval to extend its military presence in Libya.