Libyan authorities impose security cordon around Tripoli before army chief's funeral

Libyan security authorities on Thursday evening imposed a security cordon around the capital, Tripoli, as part of heightened security measures for the funeral of senior Libyan military officials, including army chief of staff Mohammed al-Haddad, local media reported.

Al-Haddad, along with four other military officials and three crew members, was killed in a plane crash south of Ankara, Türkiye.

Libya's Al-Saa'a 24 newspaper posted on social platform X that a special tasks department was deployed to "secure Greater Tripoli" and enforce a security cordon around the capital.

Arab media outlet Al-Mashhad quoted an unnamed security source as saying that the move aims to contain any potential tensions and prevent the exploitation of the plane crash "to carry out security breaches or undisciplined movements."

Videos circulated on social media showed dozens of armored vehicles moving through the streets of Tripoli after departing from a military camp in Tajoura, about 15 km east of the capital.

Citing unnamed sources, the Libyan News Agency reported that funeral prayers and military funeral ceremonies are scheduled to be held on Friday, following the completion of medical examinations and procedures to transport the victims' bodies from Türkiye.

The agency added that the ceremonies will be attended by senior local and international officials, and are expected to draw large public participation, with military officers from across Libya in attendance.

Al-Haddad was in the Turkish capital for high-level military talks before the crash on Tuesday. The Libyan Interior Ministry said on Thursday that the Turkish chief public prosecutor and a Libyan committee investigating the incident have agreed to send the aircraft's black box to Germany for technical analysis.