IAF plane to carry Indian relief supplies to Lebanon

New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) An Indian Air Force cargo plane leaves here later next week for Lebanon carrying the first batch of relief supplies from India for the war-ravaged people there.

According to Defence Ministry sources, an IL-76 cargo aircraft of the IAF will leave here on Independence Day -- carrying 50 tents, 5,000 blankets and 6,000 bedsheets, pillows and covers -- for Beirut.

On August 16, a second IL-76 -- carrying 300 single-ply tents, 50 double-ply tents, 3,000 blankets and 3,000 bedsheets and pillows -- will fly on a similar humanitarian mission to the Lebanese capital.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recently announced in Parliament that India would contribute Rs 10 crore worth of humanitarian and relief supplies to Lebanon to rebuild it. The country has been devastated in the wake of Israeli attacks retaliatory to Hizbollah terror-acts against it.

UNI DG VD RN1937