The State Department said Saturday four U.S. military aircraft are picking up Egyptians who crossed the Libyan border into Tunisia, and flying them to Cairo. Two Marine KC-130 aircraft left Djerba, Tunisia, with 132 Egyptians, and two Air Force C-130s are en route to Tunisia to evacuate more.
The government also said it is contributing $3 million to the International Organization for Migration to help repatriate thousands of foreign nationals who crossed into Tunisia to escape clashes between the government of Moammar Gadhafi and the insurrection against him.
The announcement marks the latest in a series of relief flights. On Friday, the U.S. sent two cargo planes into Tunisia with supplies for refugees from Libya.
In Canada, meanwhile, the government confirmed that a military flight was able to evacuate more Canadians and other foreign nationals from Libya on Saturday.
A spokesman for Defense Minister Peter MacKay said the Canadian Forces plane flew in from Malta and landed "without incident."
"It's boarded a number of evacuees," Jay Paxton told the Canadian Press. The exact number was not immediately available.
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