The helicopter had been bringing money to the town of Surman on its inward journey. However, it was felled near the Almaya area, west of Tripoli.
A spokesman for the Tripoli government’s chief of staff said the helicopter was targeted anti-aircraft missile while on its way back to the capital.
There were 23 passengers on its board including two high-ranking officers allied with the Islamist-backed Tripoli government.
Local reports say that 10 people were believed to have drowned, while four bodies have been pulled from the sea. Any survivors are yet to be found.
​Libya has been struggling for stability since 2011 with armed groups and regional factions engaging in a conflict. The country is currently plagued by a conflict between two governments and their allied militants.
The capital, Tripoli, is controlled by a faction allied to powerful armed forces based in the city of Misrata. The faction has reinstated the previous parliament in the capital.
