Trump Claims 122 Gitmo Prisoners Released by Obama Returned to Battlefield

US President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama's administration on Tuesday of making a terrible decision to release 122 detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention center who later returned to fighting for terror groups.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — According to data released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, nine out of 122 former Gitmo detainees believed to later be involved in terrorist operations were released under Obama, while 113 were released when President George W. Bush was in office.

"122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama Administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!" Trump stated in a Twitter post.

122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama Administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 7 марта 2017 г.

Trump’s comment came after Department of Defense spokesperson Capt. Jeff Davis said Monday that a US airstrike in Yemen killed Yasir al-Silmi, a former Gitmo detainee.

Yemeni-born al-Silmi was held in the detention center from 2002 to December 2009 and was later repatriated to Yemen.

According to the Defense Department, al-Silmi was an associate of al-Qaeda (banned in Russia) facilitator and explosives expert Usayd al-Adani, who was also killed in the March 2 strike.