The US military announced on Monday that it had released 299 Iraqi male detainees from US-run prisons in Iraq.

An Iraqi-led Combined Review and Release Board (CRRB) reviewed the files of the prisoners and recommended to set them free, the US military said in a statement.

The CRRB, which consists of officials from the ministries of Human Rights, Justice and Interior, as well as officers from the Multinational Forces, was established in August 2004.

To date, the board has reviewed the cases of more than 36,700 detainees and recommended to release more than 18,750 prisoners, according to the statement.

(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2006)