WASHINGTON, October 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Four people being held at a U.S. naval base in Cuba, for alleged links to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, were released over the weekend and more than two dozen others were brought in, Pentagon officials said Monday, October 28.

The new arrivals - the first in nearly three months - brought the total number of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay naval base to approximately 625, Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"We are definitely planning to release more," Clarke said. "I couldn't tell you exactly when because there are a lot of factors that have to be considered."

A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the four were flown to Afghanistan where they were turned over to authorities from their home countries.

Three Afghans were turned over to local authorities at Bagram Air Base, International Committee of the Red Cross officials said. The fourth detainee was flown to Pakistan late Sunday, October 27.

The Pentagon did not confirm the nationalities of those released and provided minimal details about their transfer, citing what it said were security considerations.

"Four were released Saturday," said Lieutenant Commander Barbara Burfeind, a Pentagon spokeswoman said.

"They went back to their native countries. That release has been completed," she said.

Two detainees were over eighty years old and not considered a threat, and the other two were judged to be of no intelligence value to U.S. authorities, U.S. defense officials have said.

Earlier, the first Pakistani prisoner to be released from Guantanamo has been flown back to Pakistan and five more are expected to be freed soon, Pakistani officials said.

Mohammad Sagheer from the north-western city of Swabi arrived in Pakistan late Sunday, October 27, Brigadier Javed Cheema, head of the Interior Ministry's National Crises Management Cell confirmed.

"He is the first out of a total of 58 Pakistani prisoners and the release of five more will take place shortly," Cheema told AFP. "He is still resting and relaxing."

Islamabad has sought the release of the majority of 58 Pakistanis who have been held at a U.S. detention center in the Guantanamo Bay naval facility on suspicion of links to al-Qaeda, Cheema said.

"We have taken up the matter with the U.S. authorities about the majority of the Pakistani prisoners. Most of them have no connection with Taliban or al-Qaeda.

"Their cases are being processed in the United States but there are no dates (for their possible repatriation) as yet."

An intelligence official earlier said Sagheer had been detained on his arrival in Pakistan for final inquiries but would be released soon.