Uygur refugee pair leave El Salvador
Disappearance fuels fears that Guantanamo inmates may seek a return to their militant past
Two Uygurs who were prisoners at Guantanamo Bay before being freed and sent to El Salvador 17 months ago have slipped out of the Central American nation, apparently without passports.
When and how the duo left El Salvador is unknown but their departure will fuel worries that the United States has lost track of some Guantanamo detainees who have been released.
We are aware that the two Uygurs who were resettled in El Salvador departed the country. However, we will not comment on the specifics of their decision to resettle elsewhere, or their current whereabouts
US officials declined to say when they became aware that the former prisoners were no longer in El Salvador.
Uygurs familiar with the case said it was likely the duo have headed to Turkey.
"We are aware that the two Uygurs who were resettled in El Salvador departed the country. However, we will not comment on the specifics of their decision to resettle elsewhere, or their current whereabouts," said Ian Moss, a spokesman for the State Department's special envoy for Guantanamo closure.
Although Beijing considers the Uygurs Chinese nationals, most refuse to carry a Chinese passport, and mystery surrounds what travel documents the two men would have used to leave El Salvador.
Abdul Razak and Ahmad Muhamman, were among 22 ethnic Uygurs sent to the US detention centre at the Guantanamo Bay naval base since 2002. Three Uygurs remain at the prison camp.