Russia evacuates over 100 people from Syria

Russia has evacuated over 100 nationals and citizens of several other countries from Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. "On March 12, the Emergency Situations Ministry's plane airlifted 64 Russian citizens permanently living in Syria and the members of their families, along with citizens of Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Uzbekistan," the ministry said on its website. The total number of the people removed from Syria was 103, it said. On Tuesday, an Il-62 plane delivered 11 tons of humanitarian aid to the Syrian city of Latakia. Russia conducted similar operations in the past few months. On Feb. 19, two Russian planes delivered 46 tons of humanitarian aid to the same Syrian coastal city. On their way back, the planes picked up Russian nationals and citizens of other Commonwealth of Independence States countries who wished to leave the war-torn Syria.