The American forces in Afghanistan on Monday handed over full control of a key US-run detention center, the Bagram prison, to the Afghan Defense Ministry, putting an end to a source of tension between Kabul and its main ally Washington.
An official ceremony was held in Bagram prison, located next to the Bagram airbase, the main US military bastion 50 kilometers north of Kabul.
The handing over of the facility was scheduled to take place during the US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s first tour to Afghanistan earlier this month but the program was canceled for unknown reasons.
Handing over the control of Bagram prison to Afghan government had been delayed several times over the past couple of years.
The frequent delay in handing over the Bagram prison where nearly 3,000 suspected Taliban and al Qaeda operatives were held was a source of tension between Afghanistan and the United States.
The transfer of the prison is seen as a critical part of handing over security responsibilities to the Afghan government before withdrawal of the NATO-led troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
Over 1,000 Afghan army and military police personnel will provide security for the Bagram prison after taking over the control of the detention center, a military police commander in Bagram said.
