Five US soldiers charged with abuse of detainees

Five US Army soldiers have been charged with abusing detainees in Iraq, the US military said today.

A statement said charges were proffered on Saturday against five soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment in connection with a September 7 incident “in which three detainees were allegedly punched and kicked while awaiting movement to a detention facility.”

“Upon discovery of the alleged abuse, officials immediately launched an investigation which ultimately led to the charges being proffered,” the command said.

Names and ranks of the five soldiers were not released, and the statement gave no further details.

Allegations of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad gained international notoriety in 2004 after a number of US military personnel were charged with humiliating and assaulting detainees at the facility.

Nine Army reservists were convicted in the scandal.