Iraq’s Justice Minister said authorities have closed down the notorious Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad over security concerns.
The prison is at the edge of the Sunni-dominated Anbar province, which has been engulfed in clashes between an al-Qaeda splinter group and government forces.
Last July, militants attacked Abu Ghraib and another prison, setting free hundreds of inmates, including many militants. Dozens of other inmates and security personnel were killed in the attack.
Under U.S. troops, Abu Ghraib was at the centre of a 2004 scandal over detainee abuse.
