Russia to send another plane with humanitarian aid to Libya

Another plane from the Russian Emergencies Ministry with humanitarian aid for Libya will take off for Tripoli from Moscow on Thursday, a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said. On Wednesday, a Russian Emergencies Ministry's Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft delivered 36 metric tons of humanitarian aid to the Libyan city of Benghazi. The aid included rice, sugar, canned milk and fish. "Another flight of a Russian Emergencies Ministry's plane to Tripoli carrying a similar cargo is scheduled for July 7," the statement said. Libya has been rocked by fighting between pro- and anti-Gaddafi forces since mid-February. An international military operation in Libya began on March 19, following a UN resolution authorizing countries "to take all necessary measures" to help protect Libyan civilians from attacks by Gaddafi forces, and was extended until late September.