Fighter jets from the United Arab Emirates have arrived at an air base in Sardinia to support the coalition operation in Libya, a French armed forces spokesman said on Thursday.
Spokesman Thierry Burkhard told a news briefing he could not confirm any details on the actual deployment of the planes in the campaign against Muammar Gaddafi's forces, who are pitted against rebels trying to topple the longtime Libyan leader.
A defence ministry spokesman said that there were 12 UAE planes in Sardinia.
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said last Friday that his country had committed to sending 6 F-16 and six Mirage warplanes to participate in patrols enforcing the U.N.-mandated no-fly zone over Libya.
Qatar was the first Arab country to contribute planes to police the zone last Friday -- a move that helped the United States to argue that the Western-led air strikes have Arab support.
(C) Reuters Africa
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