Five dead in Libya military helicopter crash

Five dead in Libya military helicopter crash
Five people were killed when a military helicopter crashed in eastern Libya as they returned from an official visit to Ras Lanuf, a key oil export terminal.
2 min read
20 September, 2016
The military helicopter crash has left five people dead [AFP]

A military helicopter crash in eastern Libya has left five people dead, including officers loyal to authorities that have refused to cede power to a unity government, a parliament spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The victims included General Idris Yunis al-Dressi, chief of staff for Aguila Saleh, speaker of the internationally recognised parliament based in Tobruk in eastern Libya.

His son, Ahmed Idris al-Dressi, who worked in the parliament, was also killed – along with two air force colonels and a lieutenant.

The four officers were part of the forces under the command of military strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has refused to get behind a UN-backed "unity government" and supports the parallel authority based in Toburk, in eastern Libya near the border with Egypt.

It was not immediately clear what caused the aircraft to come down.

According to a statement posted on parliament's website, the helicopter was returning from an official visit to Ras Lanuf, a key oil export terminal.

Last week, forces led by Haftar seized Ras Lanuf and three other ports in the so-called "oil crescent".

They later handed them over to the National Oil Corporation.

On Sunday, fighters loyal to the unity government launched an attack aimed at retaking two of the ports but were repelled.

Libya slid into chaos following the 2011 toppling and killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Since 2014, its divisions only increased, splitting it into two governments and parliaments – the internationally recognised one in the country's east, and an Islamist-backed one in Tripoli.

Each side is backed by an array of militias. Amid the chaos, a Libyan affiliate of the Islamic State group has surged, claiming responsibility for a series of deadly attacks as it tries to expand its territory and take control of oil terminals and fields, the sole source of Libya's wealth.