Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has extended condolences to the government and people of Libya following the tragic crash of an aircraft carrying the Libyan army’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad.

The Iranian official expressed sympathy and solidarity with the families of the victims, offering condolences to the Libyan leadership and nation over the loss.

Libya has declared three days of national mourning after the death of Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad and four top military officials in a plane crash near Ankara.

The Libyan army’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, has died in a plane crash near the Turkish capital, Ankara, shortly after the private jet he was travelling in took off from an airport there.

The crash on Tuesday killed everyone on board, Al Jazeera reported.

The victims included four other high-ranking Libyan military officials and three crew members.

Turkish officials told Al Jazeera that initial investigations have ruled out sabotage and instead point to a technical failure as the cause of the crash.

MNA