The United States has agreed to hand over to Yemen seven Yemenis detained at the US Guantanamo Bay base, the Arab state's foreign minister said on Sunday. Abubakr al-Qirbi told Reuters that Yemeni authorities received official notification about the handover, but that a date had yet to be set.
Qirbi said Washington had told Sanaa there were 107 Yemenis among about 510 detainees at the US base in Cuba.
Another official said a Yemeni security team was finalising arrangements for the transfer of the seven men and would also help establish the identities of all 107 detainees.
The Pentagon said earlier this month it had released seven Guantanamo prisoners to their home countries, including Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Sudan.
Yemen has joined the US-led war on terrorism since the September 11, 2001, attacks. It has cracked down on al Qaeda-linked militants after attacks at home, including the bombing of a US warship in 2000 and an attack on a French supertanker in 2002.
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