More prisoners freed from Abu Ghraib

Thirteen buses, packed with detainees, drove away from the gates of the detention centre at 10:20 am (0620 GMT) as thousands of relatives crowding outside the complex shouted "God is Greater," said an AFP correspondent.

On each bus was written the name of a city, where the detainees would be driven to freedom and waiting families.

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Occupants pressed their faces against bus windows, waving to the crowd as men and women below strained to see if their loved ones were on board.

A spokeswoman for the US military said that up to 600 prisoners were slated to be released from Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, from 8:00 am. The buses left for Tikrit, Kirkuk and Baghdad.

Last Friday, US forces released 454 prisoners from the jail, where some 3,400 people are behind bars. The US military has said about 11,000 detainees are in jail across Iraq.