Guantánamo, Cuba - The Pentagon said Monday it had released 11 Yemenis held without charge at Guantánamo Bay to Oman, leaving 15 people still detained at the notorious prison.

"The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing US efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantánamo Bay facility," the Defense Department said in a statement.

Oman has recently deported dozens of Yemenis resettled there after spending years at Guantánamo, despite their country of origin being considered unsafe.

Coming a week after another person was repatriated to Tunisia, this latest move means 15 people remain at Guantánamo, down from a peak of nearly 800.

Of them, three are eligible for transfer, three are eligible for a review for possible release, seven are facing charges, and two have been convicted and sentenced, the Pentagon said.

Outgoing President Joe Biden pledged before his election in 2020 to try to shut down Guantánamo, but it remains open with just weeks left in his term.

The facility was opened in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and has been used to indefinitely hold people – without charge or trial – seized during the global wars led by the US.

The conditions at Guantánamo Bay, which include torture, have prompted consistent outcry from rights groups, and UN experts have condemned it as a site of "unparalleled notoriety."