US transfers 42 Guatanamo Bay detainees to new prison facility

A group of Guantanamo Bay detainees on Thursday became the first to enter a new maximum-security prison - a USD 37 million facility designed to restrict contact among the prisoners and prevent attacks on guards.

A total of 42 detainees were brought to the prison perched on a plateau overlooking the Caribbean Sea, said Navy Cmdr. Robert Durand. The 178-cell prison, constructed beside another modern maximum-security facility built in 2004, will allow the US Naval base to phase out at least two of the older detention camps made of thick-gauge, chain-link metal, officials said. (AP)