President Obama sent a letter to Congress last week informing lawmakers that the attendance has dropped at a small U.S. military prison in Afghanistan.

The Obama administration quietly repatriated a dozen detainees late last month from the Parwan detention center outside of Kabul, Reuters reported. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the news agency that the prisoners included a Frenchman, a Kuwaiti and 10 Pakistanis. They were reportedly sent back to their respective countries.

The president’s letter to Congress said about 38 non-Afghan prisoners remained at the detention center.

News of the release comes as the Obama administration fields a wave of backlash following its decision last month to release five Guantanamo prisoners into Qatar’s custody in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held by Taliban-linked militants in Pakistan for nearly five years.

Reuters reported that the non-Afghan prisoners at Parwan are the only detainees remaining in U.S. custody in Afghanistan after U.S. officials gave custody to the Afghan government last year. The Parwan detainees’ identities have remained largely a mystery to the public.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.