Pentagon Announces Transfer of 10 Guantanamo Prison Detainees to Oman

Ten detainees from the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba will be transferred to Oman, the US Department of Defense said in a statement.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Oman has already accepted 10 former prisoners of the US's notorious Guantanamo Bay facility, its Foreign Ministry announced.

Earlier in the month, four other former Guantanamo prisoners were sent to Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number of detained down to 55.

"The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of 10 detainees…from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the government of Oman," the release stated on Tuesday.

The individuals eligible for transfer include Ghaleb Nassar Al Bihani, Mustafa Abd al-Qawi Abd al-Aziz Al-Shamiri, Karim Bostam, Abdul Sahir and Musab Omar Ali Al-Mudwani.

In addition, the Periodic Review Boards has approved the transfer of Hail Aziz Ahmed Al-Maythali, Salman Yahya Hassan Mohammad Rabei'i, Mohammed Al-Ansi, Muhammad Ahmad Said Haider and Walid Said bin Said Zaid, according to the release.

At present, 45 detainees remain at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Outgoing President Barack Obama made closing the detention facility a priority for his administration, arguing that its use has been a potent recruiting tool by terror groups and the prison has damaged US reputation abroad.

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