China sent two chartered aircraft carrying 26 tonnes of relief materials to Kyrgyzstan early Monday to help refugees who suffered shortages of supplies after violent ethnic clashes this month.

The two China Southern Airlines Boeing 757 cargo aircraft took off from Urumqi International Airport, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at 1:30 AM and 2:22 AM respectively for the southern Kyrgyzstan city of Osh, a spokesman with the carrier's Xinjiang Branch said.

He said the relief materials included tents, food, medicine and other daily necessities, to a value of 3 million yuan (US$441,176).

Xinjiang's regional department of commerce was requested, by the Ministry of Commerce, to purchase and transport the relief supplies on Sunday, the spokesman said.

China Southern Airlines, one of the country's leading carriers, has been heavily involved in the evacuation of Chinese nationals and transportation of relief supplies after clashes broke out between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks in Osh in mid-June.

The clashes later spread to the region of Jalalabad, leaving 210 people dead and 2,100 injured.

Between June 15 and 21, nine chartered aircraft of China Southern Airlines were sent to evacuate 1,299 Chinese nationals in Kyrgyzstan and ship 5 million yuan worth of relief supplies.

China had also sent 3 million yuan worth of supplies to Uzbekistan, which was flooded with Kyrgyzstan refugees after the clashes.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2010)