KABUL, May 1: At least 85 Afghan prisoners were freed from US military bases in Afghanistan on Sunday, in the single largest release of detainees by the US military, officials said. The release is the latest move by the United States to bolster an Afghan government reconciliation programme to bring fighters from the ousted Taliban regime back into normal life in Afghanistan.

It comes less than two weeks after the US released 17 Afghan prisoners from its military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. There were conflicting reports over exactly how many people had been released.

“Totally 86 people have been released,” Abdul Wakil Omari, spokesman for the Afghan Supreme Court, told AFP.

However, US military spokeswoman Cindy Moore said 85 prisoners had been released and returned to their homes in Afghanistan.—AFP