The US military began releasing Iraqi prisoners today to mark the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, an Iraqi official said.
The military reached a deal with Sunni Arab Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi last month to conduct "special Ramadan releases". It says it is holding 23,000 Iraqis.
Around 40 Iraqis were freed today from a prison near Baghdad's international airport. Between 50 to 80 Iraqis would be freed each day from US prisons in Iraq during the holy month, the military said.
Ramadan is expected to begin today. The lunar month begins at the sighting of the new moon.
US forces and Iraqi security forces have imprisoned tens of thousands of detainees without charge in the more than four years since the fall of President Saddam Hussein.
Many held by both US and Iraqi authorities are Sunni Arabs accused of participating in the insurgency against the Shia-led government. Their treatment is an emotional issue for the minority Sunni Arab community.
