The U.S. military in Iraq says it has released more than 10,000
detainees from facilities in the country so far this year - more than
were released in all of 2007.
In a statement released Saturday
the military credits the higher release rate to a program designed to
better integrate detainees into society. They say less than one percent
of those released have been detained again.
The military says it is currently holding slightly less than 21,000 detainees in two different facilities in Iraq.
Meanwhile,
the military says coalition forces Saturday detained 12 suspected
terrorists, including two wanted men, during operations targeting
al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.
Coalition forces detained an al-Qaida
leader in Tikrit, about 160 kilometers north of Baghdad. Another leader
was taken during an operation in the capital. Suspects were also
captured in Balad and Mosul.
On Friday, The Iraqi military
reported its soldiers killed at least two militants and detained six
others in fighting north of Baghdad.
Iraqi officials say three soldiers also were wounded Friday during the raids in the town of Duluiyah.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
