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About 60 Afghans freed from Guantanamo Bay, Afghan court says

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - About 60 Afghans held at Guantanamo Bay have been brought back to their country and will be freed on Sunday, the Afghan Supreme Court said.

A court spokesman said the group has been brought to Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. installation in Afghanistan. From there they will be moved to the capital Kabul, then allowed to return to their homes, spokesman Wahid Mozhda said.

Mozhda said the prisoners were all Afghan, but had no further details.

American military officials in Kabul said they had no information about any release and referred questions to the U.S. Department of Defense. Officials at Bagram could not be immediately reached.

American and allied Afghan forces have captured thousands of suspected Taliban and al-Qaida members since the start of their successful campaign in late 2001 to oust the repressive Islamic government.

Hundreds have been classified as "enemy combatants" and transferred to the prison at the U.S. naval base in Cuba. It is unclear how many Afghans remain among the prisoners still held there.

Afghans were released from Guantanamo on several occasions last year - most recently a group of about 10 men brought to Kabul in September at the request of the Afghan government.

The office of U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai said at the time that it was working for the release of more Afghans.

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