Four Afghan Guantanamo prisoners sent home

Four Afghans held at the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba, have been sent home, the Pentagon said Saturday.

It marked the latest move in the efforts by the US administration to close the military prison.

The four prisoners, identified as Shawali Khan, Khi Ali Gul, Abdul Ghani and Mohammed Zahir, were unanimously approved for transfer after a review of their cases, the Pentagon said in a statement, according to a Xinhua report.

That review, part of an executive order signed by US President Barack Obama in January 2009, examined a number of factors including security issues.

"In accordance with statutory requirements, the secretary of defence informed the Congress of the US' intent to transfer these individuals..." the statement said.

"The US is grateful to the government of Afghanistan for its willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," it added.

The repatriation of the four Afghans brings down to 132, the population of detainees at the secret Guantanamo prison, which was established by Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, after the Sep 11, 2011 terror attacks to house terror suspects detained overseas, according to the statement.