EU Sends Aid Plane for Iraq's Mosul

The European Union said it had sent a plane Monday carrying aid for people in Mosul affected by the offensive to take the Iraqi city from the Islamic State group.

The aircraft carrying 40 tonnes of supplies landed in Erbil in northern Iraq and will be the first of several aircraft sent by the 28-nation bloc this week, it said.

"These airlifts filled with urgently needed help are a tangible expression of European solidarity with the Iraqi people," EU Aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides said.

"The fighting continues to cause enormous suffering among the population in Iraq," he added.

The first plane carried 268 family tents capable of sheltering up to 1,400 people, and 3,000 blankets as well as sleeping mats, maternity kits and hygiene supplies, the EU said.

Iraqi forces launched the Mosul offensive on October 17 to drive out Islamic State but progress has slowed in recent days.

The U.N. says some 90,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.